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■ •• 



THE DELIGHTED CHILDREN HELD THEIR BREATH IN WONDERING 

ADMIRATION. 


TABITH A’ S 

VACATION 

Volume III 

IN THE IVY HALL SERIES 


BY 

RUTH ALBERTA BROWN 

Author of “tabitha at ivt hall/^ ‘‘tabitha’s glory,” 

**AT THE LITTLE BROWN HOUSE,” ETC. 


ILL USTRA TED 

B T 

WUANITA SMITH 


THE SAALFIELD PUBLISHING COMPAI^Y 

CHICAGO, AKRON, OHIO NEW YORK 





COPYRIGHT, 1913, 

BY 

THE SAALFIELD PUBLISHING COMPANY 


©CI.A350987 

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CONTENTS 


Chaptbr paob 

I. The McKittrickb’ Misfortune 11 

II. Tabitha and Gloriana, Housekeepers 33 

III. Unwelcome Guests 57 

IV. Mischief Makers 75 

V. Irene's Song 89 

VI. Glori ana’s Burglars 103 

VII. Toady and the Castor Beans 121 

VIII. Billiard Runs Away 139 

IX. Billiard Surrenders 157 

X. SusANNE Entertains a Caller 179 

XI. In THE Canyon .195 

XII. The Bank of Silver Bow is Robbed 209 

XIII. The Robbers and the Haunted House. 233 

XIV. The Unexpected Happens 247 

XV. Myra’s Climax 265 



ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAOB 


The Delighted Children Held Their Breath 

IN Wondering Admiration 

Down the Mountainside Sped Tabitha 

Fbontispibob 

78 

The Rope Swayed and Strained as Tabitha 

Slid out op Sight 

146 ^ 

** You’re Our Prisoner,” Tabitha Answered 

Boldly....; 




I 


i 


/ 



\ 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


CHAPTER I 

THE MCKITTRICKS’ MISFORTUNE 

“ ‘ Ho, ho, vacation days are here. 

We welcome them with right good cheer; 
In wisdom’s halls we love to be, 

But yet ’tis pleasant to be free,’ ” 

warbled Tabitha Catt, pausing on the door- 
step of her little desert home as she vigorously 
shook a dingy dusting cloth, and hungrily 
sniffed the fresh, sweet morning air, for, al- 
though the first week of June was already 
gone, the fierce heat of the summer had not 
yet descended upon Silver Bow, nestling in 
its cup-like hollow among the Nevada moun- 
tains. 

“ ‘ Ho, ho, the hours will quickly fly. 

And soon vacation time be by; 

Ah, then we’ll all in glad refrain. 

Sing welcome to our school again,’ ” 

11 


12 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


piped up a sweet voice in muffled accents from 
the depths of the closet where the singer was 
rummaging to find hooks for her ward- 
robe, which lay scattered rather promiscuously 
about Tabitha’s tiny bedroom. 

‘‘ Why, Gloriana Holliday, where did you 
learn that? ” demanded the girl on the thresh- 
old, abruptly ceasing her song. “ It’s as old 
as the hills. Mrs. Carson used to sing it when 
she went to school.” 

“ So did my mother. IVe got her old music 
book with the words in it,” responded her com- 
panion, emerging from the dark closet, flushed 
but triumphant. “ There! IVe hung up the 
last dud I could find room for. The rest must 
go back in the trunk, I guess. My, but it 
does seem nice to have a few weeks of vaca- 
tion, doesn’t it? ” 

‘‘ One wouldn’t think so to hear you carol- 
ling about school’s beginning again,” laughed 
Tabitha, shaking her finger reprovingly at the 
red-haired girl now busily collecting the re- 
mainder of her scattered property and bundl- 
ing it into a half -empty trunk just outside the 
kitchen door. 

Gloriana echoed the laugh, and then an- 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


13 


swered seriously, But really, I have never 
been glad before to see vacation come. It 
always meant only hard work and worry, 
gathering fruit in the hot sun or digging 
vegetables and peddling them around from 
door to door; while school meant books and 
lessons and a chance to rest a bit, and the last 
two years it meant Miss Angus, who did not 
mind my red hair and crutches.” 

“ But it is all different now,” Tabitha inter- 
rupted hastily, shuddering at the gloomy 
picture her companion’s words had called up. 
“You are my sister now, and there won’t be 
any more goats and gardens to bother about. 
You have left off using one crutch altogether, 
and don’t need the other except out of doors. 
We are going to have a lovely vacation, and 
you won’t want school to begin at all in 
September.” 

“Yes, it is all different now, Kitty Catt, 
thanks to dear old you! ” agreed the younger 
girl, giving the slender figure in the doorway 
an affectionate hug. “ And I suppose I shall 
be as daffy about this queer desert place as 
you are by the time Ivy Hall opens its doors 
again ” 


14 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


“Aha!” triumphed Tabitha. “Then you 
don’t like it now, do you? I never could get 
you to admit it last winter.” 

“ I haven’t admitted it yet,” Gloriana re- 
torted spiritedly. “ It looks so much different 
in the summer time, but still seems queer to 
me with its heaps of rocks and no trees except 
the stiff old Joshuas. I wonder why they are 
called that. Even they don’t seem like trees 
to me. They look like giant cactus plants, 
and just as cruel.” 

“ They have beautiful blossoms,” Tabitha 
interrupted. “We are a little too late to see 
them, though many of the other desert flowers 
are still in bloom. Look across that stretch 
beyond the river road. Isn’t it pretty with 
its red and yellow carpet? May is the month 
to see the desert in its glory, though. Then 
it is truly beautiful. No one could think it 
ugly. But come, let’s run over to Mercy’s 
house. We have swept and dusted, and you 
have finished unpacking. This is our second 
day at home and I haven’t been near to 
inquire how Mr. McKittrick is. He was hurt 
before Christmas, so we never went there dur- 
ing the holidays, you remember.” 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


15 


“ Where do they live? ’’ 

“ Why, I showed you the place — that queer 
brown house perched up ” 

“ Oh, yes, on that great shelf of rock, over- 
looking the railway station.” 

“ The first house we see on our way up here 
from the depot. Mr. McKittrick always 
called it the Eagles’ Nest, and his children the 
eaglets.” 

“ What a pretty idea! How many eaglets 
are there besides Mercedes and the little boy 
you named?” 

“ Four other girls. Mercy is the oldest of 
the family. Then come Susanne, or Susie, as 
they call her; the twins, Inez and Irene; 
Rosslyn and the baby, Janie.” 

“ That’s quite a family. What nice times 
they must have together!” sighed Gloriana 
wistfully, thinking of her own orphaned life 
with no brothers or sisters with whom to make 
merry. 

“ Yes, I reckon they are a pretty lively 
bunch sometimes, for Susie is as wild as 
Mercedes is quiet; and Inez should have been 
her twin instead of Irene’s. Janie is a regular 
little mischief, too, but such a darling! You 


16 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


are sure to love her, though Rosslyn is my 
favorite. Put on your hat and let’s go down 
before dinner. Daddy won’t be home until 
evening, and there is nothing to keep us 
here.” 

Seizing her sunbonnet from its peg by the 
door, Tabitha started up the path toward 
town with Gloriana hobbling along at her 
side, when they saw Mercedes, with roguish 
Janie and chubby Rosslyn in tow, coming 
down the slope toward them. Her round, 
serious eyes looked heavy and worried, her 
childish face pale and frightened; but at sight 
of the two approaching figures, a smile of re- 
lief suddenly curved the drooping lips, and she 
exclaimed eagerly, “ Oh, girls, I was just 
going for you! Are you on the way to our 
house? Oh, please say yes! Something dread- 
ful has happened, I’m sure, for mamma has 
sent us all out-doors, and is in the kitchen cry- 
ing fit to kill. She won’t say what’s the 
matter, and I’m horribly scared. I never saw 
her cry before.” 

Tabitha’s face paled instantly. “ I won- 
der — ” she began, then stopped. How could 
she put her thought into words when Mercedes 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


17 


was already so dreadfully frightened? “ Has 
the doctor been to see your father this morn- 
ing? ” she asked. 

“ Yes. He stayed ever so long and talked 
to mamma in the kitchen. I am afraid papa 
is worse, for ’twas right after the doctor was 
gone that she began to cry so hard.” 

Tabitha turned to Gloriana. “ I’ll run on 
ahead,” she said, “ if you don’t mind. You 
can follow more slowly with Mercedes. I — 
perhaps it would be better if I saw Mrs. 
McKittrick alone first.” 

“ All right,” agreed Glory, who, like 
Tabitha, was wondering if the message the 
doctor had delivered in the Eagles’ Nest that 
morning had left the little mother without a 
ray of hope; and so she fell in step beside the 
anxious Mercedes, and began to chat in 
spritely, diverting tones while Tabitha sped 
swiftly up the narrow, winding path to the 
lonely-looking, little, brown house perched on 
the steep mountainside. 

Arriving at the door breathless and pant- 
ing, she hesitated a moment before knocking, 
suddenly aware that she had not the slightest 
idea of what she intended to say or do. A 


18 TABITHA’S VACATION 


glimpse through the screen of a huddled figure 
bowed despairingly over the kitchen table 
drove every other thought from her mind, 
however, and flinging open the door, she ran 
lightly across the room and impulsively laid 
her hand upon the quivering shoulders. 

“ Mercedes, must I tell you again — ” began 
the muffled voice of the distracted woman, as 
she impatiently shook off the hand resting on 
her arm. 

“ It isn’t Mercedes,” Tabitha interrupted. 
“ It is I — Tabitha. I don’t know what is the 
matter, but if you will tell me, perhaps I can 
be of some use, even if I am only a girl.” 

Mrs. McKittrick lifted a red, swollen face 
from her arms outstretched on the table, 
glanced in surprise at the black-eyed girl 
bending so sympathetically above her, and 
once more burst into a flood of tears, sobbing 
wildly, “It ain’t any use, Tabitha! You 
couldn’t help if you was a woman grown. No 
one can help. The doctor says — ” The chok- 
ing words died on her lips. She could not bear 
to repeat the doctor’s verdict. 

“That Mr. McKittrick is worse?” whis- 
pered Tabitha. 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


19 


The bowed head nodded despairingly. 

“ Surely he isn’t going to ” 

“ Die? ” cried the woman wildly. “ Yes, he 
must die unless we can get him out of here. 
The only hope is an operation. That means 
Los Angeles, a hospital, a nurse, and hun- 
dreds of dollars; and not a cent coming in 
from anywhere. The children are too young 
to earn, and I can’t work with him to nurse 
and six youngsters to care for. Oh, it does 
seem as if troubles never come singly ! What- 
ever we are going to do is more than I know. 
The whole world has turned upside down!” 

Gravely Tabitha nodded her head. Only 
a year before as she had stood beside the bed 
of her father, fighting what seemed like a 
hopeless battle with death, she, too, had felt 
that despairing helplessness. “ If only Dr. 
Vane were here! ” she whispered fervently. 

“ I don’t believe he could do a bit more for 
the man than Dr. Hayes is doing. He’d just 
say the same thing, and there wouldn’t be any 
more money than there is now to carry out 
his orders.” 

In vain Tabitha sought to comfort and 
cheer the despondent soul, but seemed only to 


20 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


make matters worse, and at length, dis- 
heartened at her apparent failure, she stole 
away from the brown house on the bluff, and 
with Gloriana following silently at her heels, 
set out for home. Not a word passed between 
them as they hastened down the main street of 
the town, until, just as they reached the dingy 
telegraph station, the sound of the busy, clat- 
tering key caused Tabitha to halt abruptly 
and a gleam of determination to flash over her 
sober, worried face. 

“That’s what!” she exclaimed joyfully. 
“ I’ll do it! Mr. Carson will fix everything. 
’Twas in his mine that McKittrick was hurt.” 

“ What do you mean? Where are you 
going? ” asked bewildered Gloriana, unable to 
follow Tabitha’s thoughts, and wondering 
what errand was taking her into the low, 
dimly lighted shack from which issued the 
monotonous, nervous, clicking sound which 
had attracted Tabitha’s attention. 

“ To telegraph Mr. Carson. If he knew 
how badly off Mr. McKittrick is, he would 
send him inside in a minute.” 

“ Inside? ” 

“ To Los Angeles, I mean. People here 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


21 


on the desert call that ‘ inside,’ though I never 
could see why. Please, Mr. Goodwin, give 
me a blank. I want to send a telegram.” 

The man behind the counter supplied her 
with the necessary materials, and stood wait- 
ing curiously for the message to be written. 
But another idea had occurred to Tabitha, and 
turning away from the operator with the 
blank in her hand, she whispered to Gloriana 
in dismay, “ I don’t dare telegraph. Mr. 
Goodwin is a worse gossip than any old maid I 
ever knew, and he’d tell it all over town before 
noon! ” 

“ Then write a letter.” 

“ It takes nearly a week for mail to travel 
that far. It might be too late by — I’ve got 
it! How will this do? ” 

Rapidly she scribbled a few hasty words on 
the slip in her hands and passed it to Gloriana, 
who read in amazement this queer scrawl: 

“Wire five hundred silver headed eagles. 
Must get rich quick. Ask Carrie to translate. 
Letter follows. 

Tabitha Catt.” 

“ That is more than ten words, but I can’t 


22 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


help it. I’m willing to pay for it if it does 
the work.” 

“ But, Kitty, what does it mean? ” asked 
mystified Gloriana, privately thinking it the 
silliest piece of nonsense she had ever heard of. 
“ Will he know what you want? ” 

“ Carrie will. We used to write notes to 
each other in cipher when we were little. We 
called it cipher. Of course it was all utter non- 
sense, but I am sure she will remember.” 

“ It doesn’t sound — sensible — to me,” Glor- 
iana confessed. “ I suppose five hundred 
silver headed eagles means five hundred dol- 
lars, but what is that about getting rich? ” 

Tabitha laughed gleefully. “ Rosslyn Mc- 
Kittrick was a long time learning to say his 
own name when he was a baby,” she explained. 
“ As near as he could get it, ’twas ‘ Russ Get- 
rich.’ Mr. Carson was superintendent of the 
Silver Legion then, instead of one of the 
owners, and as Mr. McKittrick was working 
there when Rosslyn was born, the miners made 
him their mascot, and Mr. Carson used to 
tease him by calling him ‘ Must get rich quick.’ 
I couldn’t write ‘ McKittrick ’ in the telegram 
without Goodwin suspecting what I am up to ; 


TABITHA’S VACATION 23 

so I did the next best thing I could think 
of.” 

“ But — ” It all still seemed so ridiculous to 
the red-haired girl. 

“ You think he will wonder if I am crazy? ” 
Tabitha had read the look of doubt in her 
companion’s face, and correctly surmised what 
she was thinking. “ Perhaps he will, but I 
don’t believe so. He is quick to understand 
things. Now we will skip back to the post- 
office and I’ll scratch him a letter of explana- 
tion, so it will go out with to-day’s mail. Then 
if he shouldn’t translate the telegram cor- 
rectly — well, the letter will get there as soon 
as possible afterward.” 

As she spoke, she delivered the written 
message to the waiting operator, smiled with 
satisfaction at his look of baffied curiosity and 
bewilderment, and assuring him that it was 
worded exactly as she wanted it sent, she left 
the dingy office confident that the queer cipher 
would bring the desired results. Nor was she 
mistaken. 

Early the next morning Mercedes came fly- 
ing excitedly down the path to the Catt cot- 
tage, and, without the formality of knocking, 


24 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


burst into the kitchen where the two girls were 
busy washing up the breakfast dishes. 

“Oh, Kitty! Gloriana!’’ she cried, half 
laughing, half sobbing with sheer delight. 
“ Guess what’s happened ! Mr. Carson has 
sent mamma some money to take papa to Los 
Angeles. Now he can get well. That is what 
has been worrying her so much. The doctor 
said he would die unless he was operated on, 
and mamma hadn’t the money to get it done. 
They are to start to-morrow. Mamma’s 
going, too. Doctor says every minute counts, 
and he has telegraphed to the hospital to make 
arrangements already.” 

She paused, all out of breath, to mop her 
steaming forehead; and Tabitha, studying the 
flushed, shining face, wondered that she had 
ever thought Mercedes McKittrick dull and 
homely. 

“ Isn’t that fine?” she heard Gloriana say- 
ing, as heartily as if she had not known any- 
thing about the telegram before. “ What are 
the rest of you going to do while your mother 
is away? You children, I mean.” 

“ That’s how I happened to come here,” 
Mercedes replied, her eyes losing some of their 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


25 


glow as she recalled her errand in that part of 
the town. “ Mamma sent me down to Miss 
Davis’ house with a note, but she isn’t there; 
and the woman next door says she has gone to 
Riverside for two weeks. I s’pose we’ll have 
to find someone else instead. But I was so 
near I couldn’t help running on down to tell 
the news. I must be going now. There is 
lots to be done before train time to-morrow, 
and mamma’ll need me.” 

“We will come up and help her pack as 
soon as we get the house righted,” Tabitha 
found tongue to say. “ She mustn’t get too 
tired before she starts.” 

So Mercedes raced away again, and a few 
moments later the two busy little housekeepers 
in the hollow locked up their orderly cottage 
and followed more slowly up to the Eagles’ 
Nest on the bluff. 

“Where can the children be?” Tabitha’s 
expectant eyes searched in vain for a glimpse 
of the noisy, lively brood of ‘ eaglets,’ who 
usually saw her coming a long way off, and 
met her half-way down the mountainside with 
a boisterous shout of welcome. To-day, how- 
ever, not one of the sextette was in sight about 


26 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


the queer little brown house, and the whole 
place wore a deserted air. 

“ Maybe they have gone visiting so Mrs. 
McKittrick can look after her packing un- 
molested,’’ suggested Gloriana, letting her 
keen gray eyes sweep the steep, rocky incline 
for some sign of the youthful McKittricks, 
but with no better result. 

“ That must be it,” concluded Tabitha, 
“ though I should have thought — why, Mer- 
cedes, Susie! What is the matter? ” 

Coming suddenly around the corner of a 
huge boulder where the children often played 
house, the two girls almost tumbled over a 
row of the most woe-begone, utterly miserable 
looking figures they had ever seen, — Mercedes, 
Susie, Inez, Irene, Rosslyn and Janie, all 
seated on a broad, flat rock as stiff as marble 
statues, and with faces almost as stony and 
staring. 

“ Why, children! ” echoed Gloriana, equally 
amazed. “ What are you doing here? What 
has happened? ” 

‘‘ Mamma is crying again,” whispered 
Mercedes, dabbing savagely at a tear which 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


27 


suddenly brimmed over and splashed down the 
end of her nose. 

“ She says she won’t go and leave us alone 
with Mercy,” gulped Susanne, striving hard 
to keep the telltale quiver out of her voice. 

“ And there ain’t money enough to go and 
take us all,” supplemented Inez, who had 
earned the title of “ Susie’s shadow,” because 
she preferred the society of her older sister to 
that of her quiet twin. 

“ Miss Davis has gone away and won’t be 
back until it’s too late,” mourned gentle Irene, 
gazing sorrowfully down toward the low sta- 
tion house on the flats below. 

“ Mrs. Goodale’s gone, too, and there ain’t 
nobody else to housekeep for us,” Rosslyn 
added plaintively, “ ’cept Mercy.” 

“ But we’d be ist as dood as anjils wiv 
Mercy,” lisped little Janie dejectedly, seem- 
ing to comprehend the tragedy of the situa- 
tion as well as did the older children. 

Slowly Tabitha turned toward her com- 
panion. Gloriana’s gray eyes bravely met the 
questioning glance of the black ones. “ Would 
your father ” 


28 TABITHA’S VACATION 


" Our father,” Tabitha mechanically cor- 
rected her. 

“ Our father let you — us, I mean? ” 

“ All summer, if he thought we wanted to; 
but it won’t be that long.” 

“ Only two weeks.” 

“ Until Miss Davis gets back — or Mrs. 
Goodale.” 

“ Do you think Mrs. McKittrick would 
leave the ” 

“ I don’t know,” confessed the older girl in 
worried accents. “ It’s a chance for him. I 
believe she’ll take it. I’m sure we are old 
enough.” 

“ And know enough about keeping house.” 

“ They would be perfectly safe with us 
two.” 

“ Supposing we ask her.” 

Impulsively, Tabitha started for the house 
with Gloriana at her heels; and the children, 
though not understanding the drift of the con- 
versation they had just overheard, fell in be- 
hind the two, and marched in solemn proces- 
sion up the path, feeling sure that something 
was about to happen which would clear 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


29 


away the heavy cloud of despair hovering over 
their household. 

Again Mrs. McKittrick was sitting beside 
the battered kitchen table with her head on her 
arms as they had found her the day before, but 
this time Tabitha did not hesitate. Breath- 
lessly, excitedly, she began, almost before she 
was inside the house: 

“ Oh, Mrs. McKittrick, Mercy has told us 
all about it — how Miss Davis and Mrs. 
Goodale are away and you can’t find anyone 
to leave the children with. But you mustn’t 
stay here on that account! Glory and I will 
take charge of the house. Really, we know 
how to cook and can manage splendidly, I’m 
sure, if you will let us try. Miss Davis will 
soon be back and then she can look after 
everything. Two weeks isn’t very long. No 
harm can come to us in that time, I know. 
We’d love to do it. Say you will go. It 
means so much to you ” 

She had not intended to say just that, but 
misreading the look of wondering surprise 
in the tear-stained face lifted to hers, she 
blundered, hesitated, and stood silent and dis- 
tressed in the middle of the floor, shifting 


30 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


uneasily from one foot to the other, and look- 
ing so much like the frank, outspoken, bun- 
gling Tabitha of old, that Mrs. McKittrick 
could not refrain from laughing. It was an 
odd, hysterical, little laugh, to be sure, more 
pathetic than mirthful, but it relieved the 
sharp tension of the situation; and Gloriana, 
quick to take advantage of auspicious mo- 
ments, broke in, “ All you need to do is to say 
yes. We will be model housekeepers and take 
the best of care of the family.” 

“ But — but — what about your father? He 
won’t listen to such a plan, I’m sure.” 

“Now, don’t you fret about that!” cried 
Tabitha joyfully, regarding the battle as good 
as won. “Daddy won’t care a mite! Two 
weeks is such a little time. He will be glad 
to have us come.” 

“ I believe — I better — take Janie. She is 
so small, and ” 

“ I believe you better not! ” the black-eyed 
girl laughingly retorted. “ She would be 
dreadfully in your way, no matter how good 
she is; and you want to be free to take care 
of your — patient. Now, where is your trunk? 
What clothes do you need to take? If you 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


31 


will tell us where to find things, we will begin 
to pack at once while you are getting the house 
settled the way you want to leave it, and writ- 
ing out your orders.” 

“ ’Cause we’ll be ist as dood as anjils,” 
lisped Janie, as the procession, at a signal 
from Mercedes, quietly trooped forth into the 
June sunshine once more, and, with radiant 
faces and happy hearts, skipped down to their 
boulder playhouse to celebrate. 





CHAPTER II 


TABITHA AND GLOKIANA, HOUSEKEEPERS 

“ You really think you want to do it? ” Mr. 
Catt glanced quizzically from one bright, 
girlish face to the other as his fingers gently 
stroked the red tresses and the black hovering 
so close to his knee. 

‘‘Sure, daddy!” promptly answered 
Tabitha, patting the arm nearest her in a 
fashion that a year before she never would 
have dreamed of. 

“ Perfectly sure! ” repeated Gloriana, snug- 
gling closer to the big armchair in which her 
adopted father sat, and smiling contentedly 
at thought of the new life opening up before 
her. 

“ Two weeks mean fourteen whole days,” 
he warned them. 

“Yes,” they giggled, “fourteen whole 
days!” 


33 


34 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


“ And six lively children can raise quite a 
racket.” 

“ The house is too far from the rest of town 
for their noise to bother anyone else,” Tabitha 
reminded him. 

“ That’s another point. What would you 
do if burglars broke in at night? You would 
be too far from town to call help.” 

“ There is nothing at McKittrick’s to 
burgle,” his daughter retorted triumphantly. 
“ I am not afraid.” 

“ Nor I,” said Gloriana, though somewhat 
faintly, for of a sudden a new phase of the 
matter had presented itself. She was still 
afraid of the black desert nights, and burglars 
were a constant source of terror to her, though 
never in all her life had she encountered any of 
that species of mankind. 

“ The cottage on the cliff is no more isolated 
than our cottage here in the hollow, now that 
the Carsons are away,” continued the black- 
haired girl. “ It would be just as easy — 
easier, in fact, to get help if we needed it 
there, than here; for the McKittrick house is 
on the side of the mountain overlooking the 
town, while our place is hidden from the rest 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


35 


of Silver Bow by that hill. We can see only 
the roof of the assayer’s office from here, and 
that is the nearest building to ours except 
Carrie’s house.” 

'‘That’s true!” exclaimed Gloriana with 
such an air of relief that Mr. Catt could not 
refrain from smiling. 

“ And besides, nothing is going to happen 
in two weeks,” continued Tabitha. 

“ Suppose Miss Davis doesn’t return in two 
weeks? I thought you wanted to spend your 
summer at the beach.” 

“ Oh, Miss Davis will be back on time,” was 
the confident reply. “ And we had planned 
to stay here a few weeks anyway, you know. 
Myra won’t be looking for us before the first 
of July, for we had expected Tom would come 
home early in the summer for his vacation 
instead of having to wait until fall, and so 
made our plans accordingly.” 

He smiled at the grown-up air she had as- 
sumed, then sighed, for something in her quiet 
self-assurance and dignified poise suddenly 
brought home to him the realization that his 
little girl was fast growing up. The sensitive, 
rebellious, httle spitfire of a few months ago 


36 TABITHA’S VACATION 

had developed into a charming, gentle-man- 
nered maid; and while he rejoiced in gaining 
so sweet a daughter, he disliked to lose the 
wild, untamed elf who had so suddenly blos- 
somed into a young lady before he could in 
any measure atone for the unhappy years of 
her loveless childhood. He would have kept 
her a little girl all her life, had he been able; 
but here she was springing up into the beauty 
of a glorious womanhood before his very eyes. 
So he sighed as he thought of his lost oppor- 
tunities, then abruptly asked, “ How old are 
you, Tabitha? ” 

“ Going on sixteen, daddy.” 

“And you, my other daughter?” turning 
to Gloriana sitting silently on her low stool by 
his side. 

“ Fourteen, sir.” 

“ Rather youthful housekeepers,” he 
drawled, teasingly. 

“ But experienced in spite of youth,” 
Tabitha gayly retorted. “ Why, Miss King 
says we are the two most promising domestic 
science pupils she has. Now what do you 
think of that? ” 

“ That she is right,” came the prompt 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


37 


though unexpected reply; “ and if you really 
think you want to play Good Samaritan for 
a couple weeks, you have my hearty sanction. 
The fact of the matter is, I find it impossible 
to be here at home much for the next fort- 
night, myself; possibly not at all after to- 
night. So you might just as well be mother- 
ing the McKittricks as left alone in this end 
of the town, so far as I can see.” 

“ I knew you would say yes,” sighed Tabitha 
contentedly. “ You shall see what model 
housekeepers your daughters can be. We’ll 
make you proud of us.” 

“ I have no doubt of it,” he answered 
heartily. “ But if you begin your arduous 
duties to-morrow, it is time you were in bed 
this minute. Fly away now ! ” 

So they ran laughingly away to their room, 
both secretly glad of the chance to seek their 
pillows an hour earlier, for that day at the 
McKittrick cottage had been a busy one, and 
though neither would acknowledge it to the 
other, feet, arms and backs ached sadly. But 
the next morning, after a refreshing night’s 
sleep, the duet was ready and eager for the 
novel role they were about to play; and just 


38 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


as soon as their own simple tasks were done, 
the necessary clothes packed and the little 
cottage made secure for its two weeks of 
solitude, they tramped merrily up the steep 
path to the Eagles’ Nest, and entered upon 
their summer vacation as housekeepers for a 
family of six, as Susie expressed it. 

Everything was topsy-turvy in the excite- 
ment of getting the injured father, and 
weary, distracted mother started on their 
brief journey; but finally they were off, and 
a row of sober-faced children stood on the 
bluff overlooking the flats below, watching the 
train puff its way slowly out of sight behind 
the mountains. 

With the last glimpse of the departing cars, 
the sense of responsibility in her new charge 
descended upon the shoulders of the volunteer 
housekeeper, and Tabitha was for a brief mo- 
ment appalled at the task which she had so 
rashly undertaken. 

“ Six children to look after for two whole 
weeks ! ” she gasped in dismay. Then her 
courage returned with a rush. “ Why, Tabitha 
Catt, you coward! I am ashamed of you! If 
you can’t take care of six children for two 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


39 


short weeks, particularly with Gloriana to 
help, you are not good for much! ” Resolutely 
she turned toward the house, saying briskly, 
to hide her own wavering spirits, “ Well, 
folkses, let’s have chocolate pie for supper!” 

“ Oh, goody! ” cried Inez, whirling about to 
follow her leader; and at mention of these 
words, the faces of the whole group brightened 
wonderfully. 

“ Can’t we have some cake, too? Mamma 
said we might if you knew how to make it.” 

“ Knew how to make it? ” boasted Tabitha 
scornfully. “Well, I should say we do! 
What kind will you have? ” 

“ Nut loaf,” quickly responded Mercedes, 
who knew from experience how delicious 
Tabitha’s nut loaves were. 

“ Angel cake,” wheedled Susie, with her 
most engaging smile. 

“ Frosted with chocolate,” added Inez. 

“ Devil’s food,” suggested Irene. 

“ Cookies,” pleaded Rosslyn, who had a 
boy’s fondness for that particular delicacy. 

“ Dingerbread,” lisped the baby. 

And Tabitha laughed. “ That’s quite a col- 
lection, my dears.” 


40 TABITHA’S VACATION 


“ I should say so! ” gasped Gloriana. “ We 
can’t make them all to-night. In fact, it is 
nearly four o’clock now. There isn’t time for 
both pie and cake.” 

“ Unless we do make gingerbread, as J anie 
suggested,” said Tabitha slowly, seeing the 
look of disappointment clouding the row of 
round, serious faces watching them so ex- 
pectantly. 

“ Wiv raisins,” coaxed Rosslyn. “ Lots of 
’em!” 

Instantly the faces brightened again. “ Oh, 
yes, that’s the way we like it best,” chorused 
the four older members. 

“ And let us seed them,” pleaded Inez. 
“ Mamma often lets us.” 

“ She won’t let us eat more’n twelve,” added 
Irene hopefully, “ and we can work real fast.” 

“ Well, you will have to if we have ginger- 
bread for supper,” said Gloriana. “ I sup- 
posed the raisins were already seeded. Will 
we have time, Tabitha? ” 

“ Yes, if everyone hustles, I reckon. Mercy, 
you know where things are in the pantry. 
Supposing you get out the spices, sugar, flour, 
and things. Susie and the twins stone the 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


41 


raisins ; and, Rosslyn, you might bring in some 
small wood for the stove. We’ll use the range 
to-night, because I have baked in that oven 
before and know how it works, but won’t know 
until I experiment with it, how the gasolene 
oven bakes,” 

While she was issuing orders, Tabitha flaxed 
blithely about the little kitchen, lighting the 
fire, hunting up cooking utensils, and begin- 
ning the process of making chocolate pie, 
leaving Gloriana to wrestle with the mysteries 
of a raisin gingerbread. 

Anxious for the coming treat, the children 
obediently flew to their various tasks ; and soon 
voices buzzed busily, while the little hands 
tried their best to hurry. 

“ There!” breathed Tabitha at last, lifting 
a red, perspiring face from an inspection of 
two beautifully frosted pies in the oven, “ they 
are done. Don’t they look fine? Now you 
can put in your gingerbread whenever you are 
ready. Glory. I’ll set these on the wash bench 
outside to cool, while I hustle up the rest of 
the supper.” 

“ Mamma always puts her pies in the pantry 
window,” volunteered Irene, not wishing to 


42 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


have the tempting delicacy removed from her 
sight. 

“ But they will cool quicker in the open air,” 
explained Tabitha. “ And supper will be 
ready so soon that they won’t be cool enough 
to eat if we set them in the window. Now, 
Mercy ” 

“ Oh, Kitty,” came a sudden wail of alarm 
from the dooryard where Rosslyn was still 
busy with his basket of chips, “ Janie is gone! 
I can’t find her anywhere! ” 

Tabitha dropped her platter of cold pota- 
toes which she was preparing to warm over; 
Mercedes hastily left her dishpan where she 
was piling up the soiled kitchen utensils which 
the youthful cooks had used with extravagant 
hand; Susie and the twins abruptly deserted 
the raisin jar; and all bolted for the door. 

Only Gloriana remained at her post. She 
had arrived at the most critical stage of her 
gingerbread making, and though her first 
impulse was to join in the search for the miss- 
ing baby with the rest of her mates, her thrifty 
bringing-up reminded her that in the mean- 
time the cake would spoil. So she paused long 
enough to dump in the cupful of raisins still 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


43 


standing on the doorsill, where the seeders had 
been sitting at their task. Giving the mixture 
a final beat, she poured the spicy brown dough 
into the baking sheet, thrust it into the oven, 
adjusted the dampers, and followed the ex- 
ample of the others, setting out down the 
rocky path as rapidly as her lameness would 
permit. 

Meanwhile, toiling up the steep trail on the 
other side of the house, came a tiny, tired 
figure, almost ready to drop from her unusual 
exertions. Her dress was torn in a dozen 
places where the cruel mesquite had caught 
her as she passed, one shoe was unlaced, one 
stocking hung in rolls about the plump, 
scratched ankle, she wore no hat, and her fair 
hair was sadly tousled by the wind and her 
struggle through sagebrush and Spanish bay- 
onets. Altogether, she presented a woeful 
spectacle; but in spite of it all, she clasped 
tightly in one chubby fist, a soiled and 
crumpled letter, which every now and then she 
examined critically, having discovered that the 
' warmth and moisture of her fat hands left 
tiny, smudgy fingerprints on the white en- 
velope, and being anxious to present a clean 


44 TABITHA’S VACATION 


document to her wondering audience when she 
should have reached her goal. But oh, it did 
seem so far up to the Eagles’ Nest, and the 
way was so rough for her little feet! Still she 
kept plodding wearily along, and at length 
reached the end of her journey, only to find 
the house silent and deserted. 

“Mercy!’ she piped shrilly, pushing open 
the screen and stumbling into the hot kitchen. 
“ I’se dot a letter! Where is you? Susie! 
Rossie!” 

Still no answer. Puzzled at this unusual 
state of affairs, she raced from room to room 
as fast as her short, tired legs would carry 
her, but no one was there. 

“Tabby!” she shrieked. “Dory! What 
did you leave me for? ” 

A panic seized her. She had been deserted ! 
Tears gathered in her sea-blue eyes, and 
trickled in rivulets down her flushed cheeks. 
She was afraid to stay alone. Why had every- 
one left her? Back to the kitchen she pattered. 
It was empty, but a fire still burned in the 
stove and savory odors from the oven lured her 
on. Curiosity overcame her fear for a mo- 
ment, and with a mighty tug, she jerked open 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


45 


the door, revealing Gloriana’s gingerbread 
just done to a turn. 

Dingerbread! ” cried the child, gloating 
over the huge, golden sheet which smelled, oh, 
so good! “I want some now!” And for- 
getting that the oven was hot, she seized the 
pan with both chubby fists, but instantly let 
go her hold and roared with pain, for ten rosy 
fingers were cruelly burned, and how they did 
smart ! 

Suddenly above the wail of her lusty voice 
came the sound of excited voices and fiying 
feet; and the next instant frightened Tabitha 
with her adopted brood in close pursuit, flew 
into the kitchen, and gathered up the hurt, 
sobbing baby in her arms, crooning tenderly, 
“ There, there, dearie, you mustn’t cry any 
more. We’ve all come back. We were hunt- 
ing you. Where did you go ? ” 

“Oh, see her hands!” cried Irene, shud- 
dering in sympathy. “ She has burned her- 
self!” 

“ But the gingerbread isn’t burned at all,” 
volunteered Susie with satisfaction, after a 
keen and anxious scrutiny of the spicy loaf 
half-way out of the oven. 


46 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


“ For goodness’ sake! ” ejaculated Tabitha, 
not having noticed the seared fingers up 
to that moment. “ What do you do for 
burns? ” 

“ Bring some butter,” ordered Gloriana, 
remembering Granny Conover’s first remedy 
for burns. 

“Mamma uses molasses,” said Irene; and 
Susie and Inez, recovering their senses at the 
same instant, dived into the pantry, returning 
immediately, one with a crock of butter in her 
hand, and the other bearing a bucket of 
molasses; and before either of the older girls 
could intervene, they plunged both of Janie’s 
dirty, scorched hands first into one dish and 
then into the other, leaving them to drip sticky 
puddles down the front of Tabitha’s dress and 
on to the clean kitchen floor. 

“Why, you little monkeys!” gasped the 
senior housekeeper, forgetting the dignity of 
her position in her wrath at what seemed inex- 
cusable carelessness on the part of the girls. 

“ Mamma always puts molasses on burns,” 
quavered Inez, her lip trembling at Tabitha’s 
tone. 

“ And Glory said butter,” surprised Susie 


TABITHA’S VACATION 47 

defended. Then both culprits dissolved in 
tears. 

“ There, there, never mind! ” cried Tabitha 
in dismay. “ I didn’t mean to scold, but you 
ought to have known more than to stick the 
baby’s dirty hands into the molasses pail and 
butter crock.” 

“ Not dirty! ” screamed the outraged Janie, 
striking the face above her with a dripping 
fist. “ On’y burned! Ve pan was — ” Her 
sentence unfinished, she found herself ruth- 
lessly shaken and dumped into the middle of 
the floor, while angry Tabitha rushed out of 
the door into the cool dusk of early evening, 
leaving a dismayed family staring aghast at 
each other in the hot kitchen. Even the 
amazed baby forgot to voice her protest at 
such treatment, but stood where she had 
landed, staring with round, scared eyes after 
the fleeing figure. 

Down the mountainside sped Tabitha to 
the big boulder, wheeled about and rushed 
back to the house as swiftly as she had left it, 
and before the astounded children had re- 
covered their breath, she cried, “ I am sorry I 
was cross. I reckon I’m a little tired and 


48 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


everything has gone upside down and — sup- 
pose we have supper now. I know you are all 
hungry. Susie, while I am tying up Janie’s 
hands, you might put the potatoes on in the 
frying pan; Irene, set the table; Inez, fetch 
the water; and Mercy, cut the bread. Is the 
gingerbread done, Gloriana?” 

“ Yes,” responded the junior housekeeper 
proudly, “ and already sliced for the table. 
Shall I bring in the pie? ” 

“The pies!” shouted the six McKittricks. 

“ I had forgotten all about them,” confessed 
the older girl. “ Yes, you better get them 
right away. One will be enough for supper, — 
the tins are so large.” 

While Tabitha was speaking, Gloriana had 
stepped briskly out of the door into the sum- 
mer night and disappeared around the corner 
of the house ; but immediately a terrified 
scream pierced the air, there was a loud snort 
and the sound of startled, scampering feet, and 
Gloriana burst into the room again bearing an 
empty plate in one hand and a dilapidated 
looking pie, minus all its frosting, in the other. 

“ Oh, our lovely pies! ” wailed the children 
in chorus. 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


49 


“ The burros! ” gasped Tabitha. 

Gloriana nodded. “ One had his nose right 
in the middle of this pie. The other beast had 
upset the second tin and was licking up the 
crumbs from the gravel.” 

“ Oh, dear, I want some pie! ” whimpered 
Rosslyn, puckering his face to cry. 

“ Ain’t that the worst luck? ” Susie burst 
out. 

“ If you had put the pies in the window to 
cool, like mamma does — ” began Inez. 

“ It’s too late to make any more to-night,” 
Gloriana hastily interrupted, seeing a wrath- 
ful sparkle in Tabitha’s black eyes; ” but if 
you don’t make any more fuss about it this 
time, we’ll bake some to-morrow.” 

“ And if you want any supper at all, you’d 
better come now,” advised Mercedes, from her 
post by the stove, where she was vigorously 
making hash of the sliced potatoes. ‘‘ This 
stuff is beginning to burn.” 

Gloriana rescued the frying pan, and the 
disappointed children gathered about the 
table, trying to look cheerful, but failing 
dismally. 


50 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


“ Don’t want any ’tato,” objected Janie, 
scorning the proffered dish. “ Dinger- 
bread! ” 

“ Potato and beans first,” insisted Tabitha. 

“ Dingerbread ! ” stubbornly repeated the 
child, so sleepy and cross that the weary older 
girl said no more, but slid a large slice of the 
savory cake into the little plate, and proceeded 
to help the other children in the same liberal 
manner. No one wanted beans and potato, 
but at the first mouthful of the tempting-look- 
ing gingerbread, everyone paused, looked in- 
quiringly at her neighbor, chewed cautiously 
a time or two, and then eight hands went to 
eight pair of lips. 

‘‘ I thought we stoned raisins for this cake,” 
cried Susie, half indignantly. 

“ So you did,” replied Gloriana, her face 
flushed crimson as she bent over her plate, 
intently examining her slice of cake. 

“ Oh, and put the stones in the cake! What 
did you do with the raisins? ” demanded 
Inez. 

Before Glory could frame a reply, or offer 
any excuse for the accident, Irene slid hur- 
riedly off her chair, flew through the doorway 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


51 


and down the path toward town, but she was 
back in a moment, and in her hand she held 
a cup of raisins. 

“ Why, Irene McKittrick! ” cried Mercedes, 
lifting her hands in horror. “ What made you 
hide them? ” 

“ I didn’t hide them,” the twin indignantly 
protested. “ The cup was in my lap when 
Rosslyn called that Janie was lost, and I for- 
got to put it down when I ran out-doors. I 
remembered it by the time we reached our 
playhouse, so I set it down there and that’s 
where I found it now.” 

“ Janie wasn’t lost,” interrupted that small 
maiden in drowsy tones. “ Me went to get a 
letter.” 

“To get a letter!” chorused her sisters. 
“ Where? ” 

“To the store where Mercy goes. A man 
dave me one, too,” she finished triumphantly, 
squirming down from her high chair to search 
about the room for the missing epistle, while 
the rest of the family forgot both pie and 
gingerbread in joining in the hunt. Rosslyn 
found it at last under the stove where it had 
fallen when Janie began her investigation of 


52 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


the oven; and the girls exclaimed in genuine 
surprise, “ Why, it is a real letter! ” 

“ Addressed to mamma,” said Mercedes. 
“ Do you suppose Janie really went to the 
post-office all alone? ” 

But Janie was fast asleep in her chair 
where she had retired when convinced that 
Rosslyn had actually found her precious letter; 
so the sisters once more bent curious eyes upon 
the soiled envelope. 

‘‘ Better re-address it to your mother,” 
suggested Tabitha, remembering that in her 
written instructions, Mrs. McKittrick had 
failed to mention the matter of mail which 
might come to Silver Bow for her. 

“ Mamma told me to open all her letters, 
and not even to send papa’s to Los Angeles, 
unless ’twas something very important.” 

“Then why don’t you open it?” cried 
Susanne impatiently. 

“ And see who wrote it,” added Inez. 

“ I — I — guess I will.” Deliberately she 
tore open the envelope, spread out the brief 
letter it contained, and with a comically im- 
portant air, read the few short lines. Then 
beginning with the heading, she read it the 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


53 


second time, her face growing graver at each 
word, until impatient Inez could stand the 
strain no longer, and burst out, “ Well, what’s 
it all about? Does it take you all night to 
read that teenty letter?” 

“ It’s from Aunt Kate, Uncle Dennis’ 
wife,” Mercedes slowly retorted. “ She is 
going to Europe for something, and wants to 
send the boys out here to us.” 

“ Williard and Theodore?” 

“ Yes.” 

“ But how can they, with papa hurt and 
mamma gone? ” 

“ She says that they will pay good board 
and she knows mamma will be glad enough to 
get the money, seeing that papa’s still unable 
to work.” 

Tabitha’s face darkened. “ It’s an imposi- 
tion! ” she exploded wrathfully. 

“ I sh’d say so! ” agreed Susanne. ‘‘ They 
are dreadful noisy boys. We had ’em here 
once before, and Aunt Kate got awful mad 
’cause papa licked ’em when they touched a 
match to the old shed to see how the people on 
the desert put out fires.” 


54 TABITHA’S VACATION 


‘‘ She said they never should come again,” 
added Inez, “ but I guess she’s forgot.” 

“ How old are they? ” ventured Gloriana. 

“ Williard’s between me and Susie,” Mer- 
cedes answered, “ and Theodore’s between 
Susie and the twins.” 

“Are you going to let them come?” de- 
manded Irene. 

Mercedes turned helplessly toward Tabitha. 
“What would you do, Kitty?” she asked. 
“ Shall I write and ask mamma? ” 

I shouldn’t,” Tabitha promptly replied. 
“ Your mother has her hands full now, and it 
would only worry her to know how nervy your 
Aunt Kate is. Fd write her , — your aunt, I 
mean, — and tell her just how things stand, 
your father in the hospital and your mother 
with him. She ought to know more than to 
send them then. Still, I believe I’d just say 
that the boys can’t come. She would under- 
stand that all right. And I’ll be responsible, 
Mercedes, if your mother should think we 
ought to have told her about it first.” 

“ Fd telegraph, so’s to be sure,” said 
Susanne. “ Aunt Kate doesn’t think much 
about other folks’ wishes, and if she wanted 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


55 


to go to Europe bad enough, she’d ship the 
boys to us if we all had smallpox.” 

“ That’s a good idea,” Tabitha acknowl- 
edged. “ We’ll telegraph at once, and then 
she will have no excuse for not knowing how 
sick your father is. Where is there a pencil 
and paper? I’ll write out a telegram now, 
and we’ll slip down town, and send it to-night.” 

She hastily scribbled the words: 

“ Mrs. Dennis McKittrick, 

Jamaica Plains, Mass. 

Don’t send boys. Father in Los Angeles 
hospital. Mother with him. 

Mercedes McKittrick.” 

Then taking Irene as company, she carried 
the message to the telegraph station that same 
evening, to make sure it reached its destina- 
tion in time to prevent the threatened visit 
from the unwelcome cousins. 

“ Perhaps I acted in a high-handed man- 
ner,” she confessed to Gloriana, as they were 
preparing for bed that night, “ but I couldn’t 
bear to think of that selfish old cat — ^yes, that’s 
what she is, — imposing upon Mrs. McKittrick 
again. I remember the boys, though it was 


56 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


quite a while ago that they were here. They 
were only little shavers then, too. I never met 
them, but one doesn’t have to in order to know 
all they want to know about their antics.” 

“ And judging from our first day’s ex- 
periences as housekeepers in this family, we 
shall have all we want to do, without two 
terrors of boys added.” 

“ To-day has been rather hard and disap- 
pointing,” Tabitha acknowledged with a gusty 
sigh. 

“ But to-morrow will be better,” Gloriana 
comforted her. “ And it is only for two weeks. 
That’s one consolation.” 

. “ Thank fortune I ” Tabitha exclaimed with 
fervor; and the tired eyelids closed over the 
drowsy black eyes and the gray. 


CHAPTER III 


UNWELCOME GUESTS 

“ Well, one whole week is gone,” said 
Tabitha exultantly, as she bent over the 
heaped-up mending basket one hot afternoon, 
and tried to make neat darns of the gaping 
holes in the heels of Susie’s stockings. 

“Yes, and half of the first day of the 
second week,” Gloriana replied cheerily. 
“ But really. Puss, time hasn’t dragged as 
slowly as I feared. That first day was the 
longest, I think, I ever knew.” 

“ That first day was a horrible nightmare,” 
the older girl emphatically declared. “ I 
thought it never would end, and I’d have quit 
my job on the spot if there had been anyone 
to take my place.” 

“ I’d have quit it anyway if you had just 
said the word,” laughed her companion. “ I 
thought you’d never go to sleep that night — I 
wanted so badly to cry.” 

57 


58 TABITHA’S VACATION 


“ Did you? So did I, but you kept tossing 
so restlessly that I knew you were still awake, 
and finally I dropped off without getting my 
cry at all.” 

“That’s just what I did, too!” giggled 
Gloriana. 

“ And the next morning everything looked 
so different ” 

“Yes, I could laugh then at the burro’s 
nose in your lovely pie and the seeds in my 
gingerbread; but they didn’t seem so funny 
the night before.” 

“ They seemed anything but funny to me 
for several days, and I don’t think I’ll ever 
see a chocolate pie or a gingerbread again in 
my life without remembering this vaca- 
tion.” 

“ But things have gone splendidly since that 
first night,” Gloriana reminded her. “ The 
children have tried to be angels, even if they 
have executed some queer stunts for cherubs.” 

“ Yes, I know, but I am glad just the same 
that half of our — apprenticeship — is over. If 
this week will pass as smoothly as last week 
did, it’s all I’ll — What in the world is the 
matter with the children? Sounds as if they 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


59 


were having an Indian war dance. I 
wonder if those Swanberg boys are bothering 
again.” 

Both girls dropped their mending and hur- 
ried to the door just in time to hear Inez’s 
voice say cuttingly, “ Of course we know who 
you are, Williard and Theodore McKittrick! ” 

“ Guess again! ” drawled the older of two 
strange boys, lolling on suitcases in the middle 
of the yard. 

“ Well, those are your names,” Inez insisted. 

“You look enough like you used to when 
you were here before so we can’t be mistaken,” 
said Mercedes primly. 

“ Can’t, eh? Well, our names are Williard 
and Theodore no longer. We are Billiard and 
Toady these days. Mind you don’t forget! 
We’ve come to stay till the folks get back ” 

“ Didn’t you get our telegram telling you 
not to come? ” demanded belligerent Susie. 

“ Sure we did ! ” 

“ Then why didn’t you stay at home? ” 

“ ’Cause ma had the arrangements all made 
to go across the ocean and there wasn’t anyone 
else to send us to. Grandma’s away travelling, 
and Aunt Helen’s kids have got scarlet fever.” 


60 TABITHA’S VACATION 


“ But papa’s in the hospital and mamma’s 
there nursing him,” said Irene indignantly. 

“ Truly? ” The boy called Toady spoke for 
the first time. 

“ Do you think I’m lying? ” 

“ Well, ma said she bet it was all a bluff to 
keep us from coming out here,” Billiard ex- 
plained, looking genuinely surprised at Irene’s 
words. 

“ And anyway,” supplemented Toady, “ she 
said if it was true about your father and 
mother being away to Los Angeles, there’d 
have to be someone here to look after you kids, 
and two more wouldn’t make much dif- 
ference.” 

“ Specially when she’s paying for our 
board! ” 

Tabitha, a silent spectator in the doorway, 
ground her teeth in helpless rage, while 
Gloriana gasped audibly at the impudence of 
mother and sons. 

“ It’s no more’n right that you should pay 
board,” Susie declared in heat. “ You make 
so much trouble wherever you go.” 

“ Do, huh? ” Billiard, frowning darkly, 
advanced threateningly toward his outspoken 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


61 


cousin, with fists doubled up and an ugly sneer 
on his face. But Susie was no coward, and 
when he shook his knuckles close to her little 
pug nose to emphasize his words, the girl’s 
arm shot out unexpectedly and landed a blow 
fair and square on one eye. 

With a yell of rage and pain, the surprised 
boy lunged forward, but instead of confront- 
ing Susie, he found himself in the grasp of a 
tall, irate young lady, who wore her shining 
black hair pinned up on top of her head, al- 
though her skirts were still short enough to 
show a pair of trim ankles. “ Now stop right 
here!” 

She spoke quietly, ahnost too quietly; but 
one look into the smouldering depths of those 
big, black eyes was enough to cow the bully, 
and he jerked himself free, muttering sulkily, 
“ She hit me first! ” 

“ She had to, or get hit herself,” bawled 
Inez, jigging excitedly from one foot to the 
other in her exultation over her cousin’s defeat. 

“ Inez!” 

“Well, he needn’t have come! We tele- 
graphed them not to!” 

“ Inez! ” 


62 TABITHA’S VACATION 


The girl subsided, and Billiard found cour- 
age to leer triumphantly at her discomfiture. 
But Tabitha intercepted the glance, and in 
that ominously calm voice which had struck 
terror to his cowardly heart before, she an- 
nounced, “It is too late now to think of that 
side of the question. We’ll have to make the 
most of a bad situation ; but I will not tolerate 
fighting. You may as well understand that 
first as last. If you boys can’t behave like 
gentlemen, you can just move on down to the 
hotel. Is that plain? ” 

“Yes, sir — ma’am,” stammered the abashed 
Billiard, glancing uneasily about for some 
means of escape, but Tabitha had delivered 
her ultimatum, and now swept grandly into 
the house, satisfied that she had displayed her 
authority in a very impressive manner. 

Hardly had the screen closed behind her, 
however, when her sharp ears caught Billiard’s 
hoarsely whispered question, “ Who is that 
high-headed geezer? ” 

“ The girl who is taking care of us,” 
answered Mercedes unguardedly. 

“ Girl? ” 

“ Sure! What did you take her for? ” 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


63 


“ A — a new woman. A — one of these things 
that’s trying to vote and do men’s work and 
such like.” 

“Oho!” yelled the McKittrick girls in 
unison. “Why, she ain’t much older’n us!” 

“ She goes to Ivy Hall in Los Angeles, the 
boarding school I belong to,” said Mercedes. 
“ Honest Injun? ” 

“ Cross my heart! ” 

“ Huh!” 

And instinctively Tabitha knew that there 
was trouble ahead for her. “ Isn’t this the 
worst luck you ever heard of ? ” she groaned 
to Gloriana when once inside the house again. 

“ If I had my way about it, I’d ship them 
straight home on the next train,” declared the 
red-haired girl angrily. “ The very idea of 
their mother doing such a thing as that ! 
What kind of a woman is she, anyway? ” 

“ I don’t know much about her, except that 
she is utterly selfish and very rich. The boys 
are sent away to school most of the year; and 
during vacations she manages to shift them 
onto some of her relatives. Fortunately, Jim 
McKittrick is too far away to be bothered with 
them very often.” 


64 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


“But what shall you — we do with them? 
Shall we tell Mrs. McKittrick that they have 
come? 

“ Goodness, no! At least not yet. It would 
just worry her more than ever and she is worn 
to distraction now. No, we must make the 
best of it this week, and by that time Miss 
Davis will be here. She was raised in a family 
of boys and ought to know how to manage 
them.” 

“ Well, I am thankful 1 am not in her 
shoes,” breathed Gloriana. “ I suppose we 
can get along somehow for the six days that 
are left. Where shall you put them? ” 

“Well, I declare! I had forgotten all 
about that part of it. They will think I am a 
real hospitable hostess.” She stepped to the 
door to call them, but not a soul was in sight 
anywhere. Two open suitcases lay on the 
ground with their contents scattered all about, 
but both owners and their cousins had disap- 
peared. 

“ Mercedes ! Susie ! ” she called peremp- 
torily, but no one answered; and not even the 
sound of their voices at play fell on her listen- 
ing ear. “ Strange,” she muttered. “ They 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


65 


were here a minute ago. Where can they 
have gone so quickly? ” 

She was about to start on a tour of investiga- 
tion when a series of wild, piercing screams of 
abject terror rent the air, and Rosslyn came 
stumbling down the steep incline behind the 
house, bruised, scratched, torn, and covered 
from head to foot with what looked like blood. 
Gloriana caught him as he fell, for Tabitha 
turned faint and sick at the sight; but a shout 
of boyish disgust from above brought her to 
her senses. 

“ Aw, come back, you bawl baby ! We were 
just foolin’! You ain’t hurt a mite! ” Billiard 
swaggered into view from behind a tall 
boulder half-way up the mountainside, and 
even Tabitha shuddered at the spectacle he 
presented, for he was togged out in war paint 
and feathers till he looked fiendish as he 
brandished a tomahawk in one hand and an 
evil-looking knife in the other. At sight of 
the girl on the narrow piazza, he hastily re- 
treated behind the rocks again; but Tabitha 
was there almost as soon as he. Snatching 
the gorgeous headdress from the culprit’s 
head, she trampled it ruthlessly in the sharp 


66 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


gravel, disarmed the would-be Indian brave, 
breaking the treasured tomahawk and knife 
against the rocks, and shook the cowering 
savage with strong, relentless hands. But 
not a word did she speak, and though her 
victim writhed and squirmed and wriggled, 
he could not break the fierce grip on his 
shoulders. 

“ Don’t, don’t,” he blubbered in despera- 
tion. “ I didn’t mean to scare him so bad. We 
were only playing Indian.” 

“Only — playing — Indian!” panted Ta- 
bitha, in scorching scorn. “ Look at those 
children! You have frightened them all to 
death ! ” Pausing an instant in her vigorous 
shaking, she pointed at the circle of sisters, — 
Mercedes, weak and trembling, bent over the 
limp form of little Janie, blowing frantically 
in the still, white face; a thoroughly subdued 
and frightened Toady was wildly fanning 
poor Irene, who had likewise crumpled in a 
faint; while close by sat Susie and Inez cling- 
ing to each other and sobbing in terror. 

“ Oh, I didn’t mean to! ” bellowed Billiard, 
as Tabitha resumed her shaking. “ I thought 
they’d seen Indians before.” 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


67 


“ And so they have, but not such horrible 
savages as you! ” Shake! Shake! Shake! 

Irene sighed faintly and opened her eyes. 
Toady’s heart gave a violent thump of relief 
and thanksgiving, and abruptly dropping the 
headdress of feathers which he had been using 
as a fan, he flew to his brother’s rescue. 

‘‘ Oh, please, Mrs. Tabitha,” he pleaded, 
‘‘ you’ve drubbed him enough. Shake me if 
you ain’t through yet. You’ll have him plumb 
addled! Really, we were just in for some fun. 
We never dreamed the kids would scare so 
easy. That’s only vegetable dye on Rosslyn’s 
head. He thought we had scalped him, but 
we didn’t mean to hurt him.” 

Tabitha glanced down into the entreating 
brown eyes at her elbow, straightway forgave 
Toadj", and released her victim so suddenly 
that he fell sprawling into a nest of sharp- 
thorned Mormon pears; but of this she was 
unaware, for with one swoop she gathered up 
the now hysterical baby, and stalked off to- 
ward the house, saying grimly, “You boys 
stay right where you are until you are willing 
to apologize and promise to behave yourselves 
in the future. I’ve a mind to turn you over 


68 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


to the sheriff now. Come, girls ! Followed 
by the troop of white, shivering sisters, she 
disappeared within doors, and soon quiet 
reigned in the Eagles’ Nest. 

Only then did the cowed Billiard venture 
to peer from his retreat at the house below. 
It was nearing the supper hour and he was 
hungry, but Tabitha had said he must 
apologize and promise good behaviour before 
he would be admitted to the family circle. It 
was evident that she meant business. 

“ Toady,” he whispered to the other boy, 
sitting silent and motionless where he had 
dropped when Tabitha had left them an hour 
before. “ Toady, can you see anyone down 
there? ” 

Toady glanced off at the hazy flat below 
with its winding silver ribbon of railroad track, 
and the lonely, dingy station house, and shook 
his head. 

“ Aw, not there! ” Billiard protested, seeing 
that his brother’s thoughts had evidently been 
running in the same channel. “ Down to 
Uncle Jim’s, I mean.” 

Scarcely shifting his position, dutiful Toady 
craned his neck around a boulder, surveyed the 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


69 


quiet mountainside in the waning afternoon 
light, and again shook his head. 

“ Creep down and see what they’re doing. 
Maybe they are talking about us.” 

“ Go yourself,” returned Toady briefly. 

“ Aw, come now. Toady! She ain’t so mad 
at you, and besides, you’re littler. They 
wouldn’t see you so quick.” 

Still Toady remained seated. 

“ We’ll have to have some water to wash 
off this stuff before she’ll let us in to — to 
apologize,” wheedled Billiard. 

Are you going to apologize? ” 

“ Looks like we got to,” answered the older 
boy gloomily. “ She’s a reg’lar cyclone. 
Smashed up half our things already, and like 
enough she will sick the sheriff on us like she 
said, ’nless we do — er — apologize.” 

It was very evident that Billiard was not 
in the habit of apologizing for anything; and 
Toady, grinning with no little satisfaction at 
his brother’s discomfiture, arose and slowly de- 
scended by a roundabout trail to the cottage. 
He was gone a long time and Billiard was 
growing decidedly restless and anxious when 
he appeared in sight once more. “ She’s — 


TO 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


they are going to write to Uncle Hogan! ” he 
announced breathlessly. 

“ Uncle Hogan! cried Billiard in dismay. 

“ Yes, that’s just what I heard them say. 
Mercedes told her how Uncle Hogan ” 

“I’ll get even with Miss Mercedes,” Billiard 
interrupted fiercely. 

“ You better get that paint off your face 
and hike for the house with your apology,” 
advised the more easily persuaded brother, 
“ else you’ll never have a chance to get even 
with anybody again.” 

“ Why? ” 

“ Because if we don’t promise to be good 
inside of an hour, they are going to ask 
the — the — some man, sort of a policeman, I 
guess, to look after us until Uncle Hogan 
answers.” 

“ Do 3^011 really think they’d write to Uncle 
Hogan? ” 

“ Sure! Tabitha knows him. She and that 
Glory girl with the red hair kept him all night 
last winter off some mountain he wanted to 
climb ’cause they didn’t know who he was. 
She had a gun and shot at them; but when 
her father got there he said ’twas all right, and 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


71 


Uncle Hogan thinks Tabitha is the whole 
cheese now.” 

“ Supposing we do — apologize, will they 
write to him still? ” 

“No, I guess not. If you’ll promise to 
behave, they will let you stay until some 
woman who’s going to take care of the kids 
most of the summer gets here. Then she can 
do as she pleases about writing. You better 
knuckle under. Billiard.” 

The older boy groaned. “ You don’t seem 
to care very much,” he complained bitterly, 
feeling that Toady had deserted him at the 
most critical moment. 

“ I — I’ve apologized already,” acknowl- 
edged the other. “ I’d rather do that than 
have Uncle Hogan get after us.” 

“ So would I,” Billiard sulkily decided, and 
pulling himself up from his rocky seat, he 
slowly shambled down the mountainside, with 
Toady at his heels hugely enjoying his 
brother’s humiliation, for, though comrades in 
mischief, the older boy loved to bully the 
younger, and Toady had a long list of scores 
to settle, so he could not refrain from grinning 
broadly behind Billiard’s back, particularly 


72 TABITHA’S VACATION 


since his part of the disagreeable program had 
already been accomplished. 

“ Better wash your face, first,” he suggested, 
as Billiard made straight for the kitchen door, 
through which savory odors of supper cooking 
were beginning to steal. 

“ Aw, come off! ” 

“ She won’t let you in till you do.” 

“Well, then, where’s the water?” 

Toady pointed toward a basin on a nearby 
rock, and Billiard made a vigorous, if some- 
what hasty toilet. Then, after a moment’s 
further hesitation, he entered the kitchen with 
hanging head, and, addressing a grease spot 
on the floor by Tabitha’s feet, muttered surlily, 
“ I — er — apologize.” 

Tabitha’s lips twitched. He looked so 
utterly downcast and abject that she could 
scarcely keep from smiling openly. “ Are you 
ready to promise to behave yourself from now 
on?” 

“Yes, sir — I mean, ma’am,” he gulped, 
flushing angrily as the girls tittered. 

Tabitha instantly silenced their mirth, and 
turning to the boy, said graciously, “ Then 
we’ll let bygones be bygones; but we’ll have 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


73 


no more such actions while yoii stay. Your 
suitcase is in the back bedroom. Toady will 
show you. But first, please bring in a couple 
armfuls of wood. It looks like rain and ” 

‘‘Wood! We never bring in wood at 
home ! ” the boy rebelled. 

“ You are not at home now,” Tabitha 
answered sweetly. 

“ But — we’re paying board! ” 

“ I haven’t seen any board money yet. And 
anyway, we need the wood.” 

Angrily the boy jerked out a purse from 
his trousers pocket and slammed some gold 
pieces on the table. 

“ Twenty dollars,” she counted. “ For how 
long? ” 

“ All summer.” 

“ Ten weeks! Two dollars a week for two 
of you! Board on the desert is cheap at a 
dollar a day. You can write your mother to 
that effect; and in the meantime, perhaps you 
better put up at the hotel ” 

“ Oh, she said if anyone made a fuss, she’d 
pay more,” Billiard hastily explained, for 
somehow the hotel idea did not appeal to him. 

“ Well, you tell her a dollar a day for each 


74 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


of you is the regular rate. And now you will 
have just about time to get that wood before 
supper is ready.” 

Billiard glanced questioningly up into the 
clear, olive face above him, as if he could not 
believe his ears. 

“ The pile is close to the door,” she con- 
tinued, paying no attention to the amazement 
in his face: “and the woodbox is on the 
screened porch.” 

Billiard hesitated, opened his lips as if to 
speak, closed them again, and inwardly rag- 
ing, but outwardly meek, marched out of the 
door to the woodpile. 


CHAPTER IV 


MISCHIEF MAKEKS 

Tabitha retired late that night, weary 
but triumphant, congratulating herself that 
Billiard was conquered; but she had reckoned 
without her host. Two little heathen such as 
Williard and Theodore McKittrick are not to 
be converted in one day, nor are they apt to be 
forced into reforming. Brought up with utter 
disregard for other people’s rights, by a mother 
who bore them no particular love, but who 
surrounded them with every luxury money 
could buy simply because she found it less 
trouble to indulge than to deny them, it is 
scarcely to be wondered at that they had no 
idea of honor or obedience. 

Their father, Dennis McKittrick, had been 
more successful than his brothers in his 
struggle for wealth. After amassing a com- 
fortable fortune, he had not lived to enjoy 
75 


76 TABITHA’S VACATION 


it, and before his oldest son had seen his 
sixth birthday, the father was laid to rest 
in the shadow of a resplendent monument 
in an Eastern cemetery; and the rearing 
of the two boys was left wholly to their fashion- 
plate mother, whose only gods were dress and 
personal pleasure. Tabitha had heard many 
stories of the selfish, heartless woman, who 
found her motherhood a burden rather than 
a blessing, but she did not understand the dif- 
ficulties one must contend with in attempting 
to reform such lawless youths, and being little 
more than a child herself, it was only natural 
that she should make mistakes. 

But she did not at once realize this fact, for 
Billiard, completely surprised by the unusual 
treatment accorded him, was a model of 
obedience and politeness for the next two days, 
and Tabitha was deceived into thinking his 
reformation was genuine and lasting; while in 
reality, the young scapegrace was merely 
studying the unique situation and plotting how 
to “ get even ” with the girl who already had 
mastered him twice. A coward at heart, he 
knew he could not come out openly and fight 
her, so he slyly planned little annoyances to 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


77 


hinder her work and try her patience. Yet so 
adroitly did he manoeuvre that Tabitha was 
some time in finding out the real culprit. 

“ My href us food ain’t nice,” wailed Janie, 
the third morning of her cousins’ stay. 

“ Nor mine, either,” protested Rosslyn, 
tasting his critically, and wrinkling his nose in 
disgust. 

“ You’ve salted it something fierce,” said 
Billiard, winking solemnly at Toady while 
Tabitha was busy sampling her dish of por- 
ridge. 

“ It’s so salt that sugar doesn’t sweeten it,” 
added Susie, making a wry face at the first 
mouthful and taking a hasty swallow of water. 

Tabitha’s mystified face quickly cleared. 
Seizing the sugar-bowl, she cautiously tasted 
its contents, and turning toward Inez, said 
accusingly, “You filled it with salt instead of 
sugar! ” 

“ Then someone put the salt cup in the sugar 
barrel,” cried Inez indignantly, “ ’cause I just 
poured one cupful into the sugar-bowl.” 

“ Well, be more careful the next time,” 
admonished the black-eyed girl, retreating to 
the pantry for a fresh supply of sweetening; 


78 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


and Billiard, elated at the success of his first 
attempt, determined to try again. 

‘‘ What in the world did you put in that 
salad dressing, Glory? ” cried Tahitha, snatch- 
ing up her glass of water with eager hands. 

“What’s the matter with it?” demanded 
the second cook, whose turn it was to wait upon 
the table that day. 

“ You used ginger ’stead of mustard,” 
scolded Toady, who had a particular aversion 
for red hair, and took little pains to conceal 
it. 

Gloriana had her suspicions as to how such 
an accident could have happened, but a hurried 
visit to the pantry disclosed the spice cans in 
their proper places, all correctly labelled; so 
she reluctantly admitted her mistake, but de- 
cided to keep her eyes open. 

“ There’s soap in my glass of water,” com- 
plained Irene at the next meal. 

“ Soap ! ” echoed Mercedes. “ I washed 
those glasses myself, and never used a bit of 
soap on them! That’s the way mamma told 
us to wash them.” 

But the fact still remained that not only 
was Irene’s glass soapy, but more than half the 



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TABITHA’S VACATION 


T9 


dishes on the table tasted of Fels Naptha. 
Tabitha looked concerned, but Billiard and 
Toady were so innocent appearing that she 
never suspected them of having had a hand in 
the affair. 

The next time it was Tabitha’s biscuits. 
When they appeared on the table they were 
as thin as wafers and as hard as bricks. In 
some way she had substituted corn starch for 
baking powder ; but as another hurried visit to 
the pantry showed both articles where they 
belonged on their respective shelves, she con- 
cluded that carelessness on her part had caused 
the trouble, and let the matter drop. 

Then the house began to be infested with 
all sorts of obnoxious insects and reptiles. 
Mercedes found two huge grasshoppers in the 
soup one day; a long, wriggling centipede 
fell out of the cook-book as Tabitha turned 
its pages in search of a favorite recipe; a 
scorpion dropped off the cake plate which 
Gloriana was in the act of passing, so frighten- 
ing the girl that she dashed cake, dish and all 
onto the floor, and promptly had hysterics. 
Horned toads, ugly lizards, and worms of 
every description made their appearance by 


80 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


the dozen, until even Tabitha grew alarmed; 
but still she did not suspect the cause of such 
an invasion, as the two brothers were ap- 
parently as docile and obedient as their gentler 
cousins. 

Even when they found a dead rattler coiled 
up in the middle of the kitchen floor, Tabitha 
attributed it to Carrie’s dog. General, who 
still spent much of his time at the McKit- 
trick cottage. Nor did she notice that the 
reptile was coiled in a most impossible man- 
ner, with its head propped up by two tiny 
wires. She merely hustled the thing out of 
doors, hacked it into pieces with the axe, and 
buried the remnants under a pile of rocks to 
make sure no harm came of them. It never 
occurred to her to wonder how General, who 
was not allowed in the house, could have 
dragged the snake inside without someone see- 
ing or hearing him, for he was proud of his 
snake-killing accomplishment and always 
made a big commotion when he succeeded in 
trapping one. So the culprits enjoyed the 
girls’ scare, and retired to the water-tank be- 
hind the assayer’s office to hatch up some new 
scheme. 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


81 


Only Gloriana, whose cordial dislike for 
boys, caused by her unhappy experiences in 
Manchester, made her suspicious of all that 
species of humanity, seemed aware of what 
was going on, but she could not catch them 
red-handed. And knowing that she suspected 
them, the brothers made life miserable for her 
in a hundred ways. They hid her crutch in 
the most out-of-way places, adroitly misplaced 
her cooking utensils, or whatever article she 
was about to use, causing her many a long and 
annoying search when she was in a hurry. 
They stopped the clock or set it ahead with 
aggravating frequency; and discovering that 
the plucky girl grimly bore their tormenting 
in silence, they grew bolder, jumping out at 
her from unexpected corners, tweaking her 
long braids, tripping her up, and calling her 
“ Carrots,” or “ Red-top,” when Tabitha was 
out of hearing, for they still entertained a 
wholesome fear of that strong-armed, hot- 
tempered little housekeeper, who demanded 
instant obedience from her charges, and was 
able to enforce her authority by main strength 
if necessary. 

Also, they felt a certain boyish admiration 


82 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


for the tall, lithe girl who bore such a record 
for bravery, though not for the world would 
they have admitted the fact, even to each 
other; and they could not resist plaguing her 
on the sly whenever a chance presented itself. 
But to tease her openly was out of the ques- 
tion; so Gloriana received a double share of 
tormenting, which she bore with such uncom- 
plaining fortitude that the boys forgot to be 
cautious, and one afternoon while Tabitha was 
in town on an errand, Mercedes came upon 
them as they were limping about the kitchen 
in an exaggerated fashion chanting with tune- 
less voices, 

“ Baa-baa, black sheep, have you any wool? 
Yes, sir, yes, sir, three bags full; 

One for the master, one for the dame. 

And one for the ‘ gory head ’ who limps awful 
lame.” 

Tears were standing in the tired gray eyes, 
but Gloriana, with her back resolutely turned 
toward her tormentors, scrubbed her pan of 
vegetables more vigorously, and tried not to 
hear the taunting words, though she knew 
from the sound of their steps that the boys were 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


83 


circling nearer and ever nearer, and “would 
soon jerk off her hair-ribbon or poke her in 
the back. 

“ Cowards ! ” exploded Mercedes wrath- 
fully. “ You’d never dare do that if Tabitha 
was here! I’m going to tell her just how 
mean you are! ” 

“Tattletale, tattletale!” jeered Billiard, 
taking a rapid survey of the yard as he limped 
past the door, to see if the other housekeeper 
had by any chance returned from the post- 
office. 

“You wait and see what you get when 
Tabby finds out what you have been doing,” 
threatened the girl; and the little name slip- 
ping inadvertently from her tongue gave the 
boys another inspiration. 

“ Tabby Catt, Tabby Catt,” they began in 
unison, “where have you been? 

IVe been to Silver Bow to buy me a bean. 
Tabby Catt, Tabby Catt, what saw you there? 
I saw ‘ Gory Hanner ’ with her fearful red 
hair.” 

So intent were they upon rendering their 
new song, that neither boy heard the screen 


84 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


open and close softly behind him, but Mercedes 
caught a glimpse of the set, white face and 
flashing eyes through the doorway, and held 
her breath in mingled fear and expectation. 

“ Billy goat, Billy goat, where have you 
been? ’’ a low, ominous voice interrupted; and 
the two tormentors came to an abrupt halt in 
the middle of the floor, paralyzed at the unex- 
pected appearance of the black-haired girl. 

“ A-chewing the whiskers, that grow under 
my chin,” the voice calmly finished, and seiz- 
ing the pan of dirty water from which Gloriana 
had just rescued the last potato, Tabitha 
dashed its contents over the astonished duet. 
Then realizing that once more she had let go 
of her fiery temper, she fled from the house up 
the trail to a great boulder on the summit of 
the mountain, and threw herself face down 
in an abandon of shame, remorse and 
despair. 

“ Oh, dear, why can’t I be good? ” she 
sobbed. “ Just when I think I can hold onto 
myself and be ladylike no matter how mad 
I get, something comes up to show me that 
I’m mistaken. I’m just as hateful as Billiard! 
Oh, dear! And I thought he was being so 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


85 


good, and all the while he was doing mean 
things behind my back. I make a miserable 
fizzle of everything I undertake. What would 
Mrs. McKittrick say if she could have seen 
me a few minutes ago? Now IVe lost all the 
hold I had on the boys. They can’t respect 
anyone who doesn’t control her temper any 
better than I. 

“ How I wish I had never offered to take 
care of the tribe of McKittrick! No, that isn’t 
so, either, for then the mother couldn’t have 
gone inside with Mr. McKittrick, and perhaps 
the operation would have killed him. I’m glad 
he had his chance, bad boys or no bad boys! 
But oh, I am so thankful that Miss Davis will 
soon be home. I will never play housekeeper 
again, never! But now, — how can I make it 
right with Billiard and Toady? What a world 
this is to live in! Always stepping on some- 
one’s toes and then having to beg pardon. The 
trouble of it is I — I don’t believe I am very 
sorry that I doused the boys. I am sorry I 
got so mad and did such a hateful thing, of 
course, but they deserved more than they got. 
And yet they aren’t to blame, either, after the 
bringing up they have had. I suppose — it’s 


86 TABITHA’S VACATION 


up to me — to do the apologizing act — myself — 
this trip.” 

Drying her eyes and taking a firm grip on 
herself, she descended from her refuge and 
sought out the boys in their room. 

“ Come in,” Billiard called gruffly in re- 
sponse to her knock, though inwardly he was 
quaking with fear lest it might be the sheriff 
or Uncle Hogan, whose authority he had 
never but once dared to defy. So he was 
visibly relieved when he saw Tabitha stand- 
ing alone on the threshold, but waited uncer- 
tainly for her to state her errand. 

She was as anxious as they to have the 
ordeal over with, and plunged into the middle 
of her carefully framed speech, saying briefly, 
“ I came to ask your pardon for my rudeness 
of a few minutes ago. I forgot myself. It 
was wrong of me to speak and act as I did, 
no matter how great the provocation.” 

Her wandering gaze suddenly fell upon 
Billiard’s face, just in time to see him wink 
wickedly at Toady, and her good resolutions 
abruptly took wing. “But you deserved every 
bit you got,” she finished fiercely, “ and the 
next time I’ll souse you in the rain barrel! 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


87 


Slamming the door in their surprised faces, 
she marched majestically away to the kitchen, 
and furiously began beating up a cake, so 
chagrined over this new defeat of her plans 
that she could not keep the tears from her 
eyes. 

Suddenly a meek voice at her elbow spoke 
hesitatingly, “ Say, Tabitha, weVe apologized 
to Gory Anne — Gloriana, I mean. Will you 
— excuse — me for what we said about you, 
too?” 

Toady’s big, beseeching, brown eyes met 
hers unflinchingly — he certainly knew how to 
look angelic when occasion demanded it — and 
Tabitha relented. 

“Yes, Toady, I’ll excuse you"" she said with 
meaning emphasis, which was not lost on the 
older brother, keeping well in the background. 

“ I — I’m ready to be excused, too,” Billiard 
gulped at length, shuffling forward a few 
steps, but not raising his eyes from the floor. 

“ Very well,” she answered coldly. “ But 
don’t you dare bother Gloriana again. I 
won’t stand for it ! ” 

“No, ma’am,” Billiard responded meekly; 
and the two boys made good their escape, feel- 
ing very virtuous indeed. 


/ 




CHAPTER V 


ikene’s song 

“ Miss Davis gets home to-day/’ sang 
Tabitha under her breath, as she drew on her 
slippers that bright, hot morning. “ Do you 
know that, Gloriana Holliday? ” 

“ Haven’t I been counting every minute, — 
yes, every second for the past twenty-four 
hours? ” laughed the second girl, letting down 
her luxuriant auburn mane and beginning to 
brush it vigorously. “ But I had a horrible 
dream last night. I thought she sent us her 
wedding announcements, and we had to stay 
here all summer.” 

“ False prophet ! How dare you dream such 
a thing as that? Didn’t we have a letter from 
her just two days ago saying she would reach 
here on to-day’s train? And anyway, dreams 
always go by contraries, you know.” 

“ It’s mighty lucky they do in this case,” 
89 


90 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


Gloriana replied seriously. “ But I woke in a 
cold sweat, the dream was so very real. I 
couldn’t help wondering if something had de- 
layed her so she wouldn’t reach here as soon 
as we had expected.” 

“ What a pessimist you are! ” cried Tabitha, 
eyeing her companion in surprise. “ You are 
usually just the opposite. Wliat is the matter 
with you to-day, Glory? ” 

‘‘ Oh, I just somehow feel it in my bones 

that something is going to happen ” 

“To be sure ! Miss Davis is coming home 
and relieve us of our job.” 

“ Something disappointing, I mean.” 

“ Well, you just get that feeling out of your 
bones right away ! ” commanded Tabitha, 
thrusting the last pin into her shining, black 
hair and whisking into her big, kitchen apron. 
“You must have the rheumatism and that is 
bad for one’s health. One more meal after 
this, and — exit Tabitha Catt and Gloriana 
Holliday, housekeepers.” 

Gloriana laughed, as, with a comical flourish 
and backward courtesy, the black-haired girl 
disappeared through the door, but her gay 
spirits were contagious, and presently the 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


91 


younger maid joined her companion in the 
kitchen, singing softly: 

“ ‘ Maxwellton’s braes are bonnie 
Where early fa’s the dew. 

And ’twas there that Annie Laurie 
Gave me her promise true.’ ” 

“ There, that sounds better,” Tabitha com- 
mented. “ Really, I was beginning to get 
shivers of misgiving myself from your gloomy 
forebodings in the other room. What shall 
we have for dinner in honor of the occasion? 
Green peas, asparagus tips, French potatoes 
and caramel pudding? Or shall we invest in 
some strawberries at two bits a box and have 
shortcake for dessert? ” 

Merrily she skipped about the kitchen, mak- 
ing ready the simple breakfast for the hungry 
brood ; and when that was out of the way, and 
the house swept and dusted, the two house- 
keepers began preparations for an elaborate 
dinner. 

“ To celebrate our release from bondage,” 
laughed Gloriana, browning the sugar for a 
caramel pudding, while Tabitha carefully con- 
cocted her best layer cake. So busy were they 


92 


TABITHA’S VACATIOlSr 


that the morning flew by as on wings, and 
before either was aware of the hour, a shrill 
blast of a whistle proclaimed the approach of 
a locomotive. 

“ The train! ” gasped Tabitha. 

“ And we haven’t tidied the children up or 
changed our own dresses,” mourned Gloriana. 

“ I intended to meet Miss Davis at the sta- 
tion, to be sure she came here for dinner,” 
wailed the other. 

“ It’s too late now to do that, but we can 
make the youngsters a little more presentable 
before the ’bus comes up from the depot,” 
suggested the younger girl. 

“ They certainly will need cleaning up by 
this time. I’ll admit. Call them, will you, 
please? ” 

Gloriana stepped to the door and yodelled 
shrilly, but there was no answering trill, 
save the echo thrown back by the mountain 
peaks. 

“Decamped again!” sighed Tabitha im- 
patiently. “ Did you ever see a bunch of chil- 
dren who could do the disappearing act as 
quickly or as completely as the tribe of McKit- 
trick? If you will watch these potatoes, I will 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


93 


go hunting. They were here only a few 
seconds ago, seems to me.” 

Briskly she circled the house. Not a chick 
nor a child was anywhere in evidence. Down 
to the boulder playhouse, up the trail to the 
summit, but nowhere were the children to be 
found. Tabitha became alarmed. What mis- 
chief had Billiard led them into now? He had 
been perfectly angelic for twenty-four hours. 
It was time for another outbreak. 

Shading her eyes with her hand, she 
anxiously surveyed the surrounding hillsides, 
the gray flat below, the dingy station house, 
and presently her sharp eyes espied a proces- 
sion of lagging figures straggling down the 
steps from the depot platform. 

“ Can it be — ” she began. “ Yes, I do be- 
lieve it is! Horrors! Whatever will Miss 
Davis say when she sees that bunch of dirty 
ragamuffins! One, two, three, four — Billiard 
is lugging Janie pickaback, and Mercy and 
Toady have made a chair for Rosslyn. Yes, 
that is my family! ” 

She turned to go back to the house, but 
another thought had suddenly occurred to her. 
“ Miss Davis ! She’s not with them. Can it 


94 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


be she didn’t come? Was Gloriana right after 
all? She surely would not let the children plod 
home in the heat while she rode in the ’bus. 
No, there are only eight people in that bunch 
and they are all children. Oh, dear, suppose 
Glory’s dream has come true ! ” 

Mechanically she turned back to the house, 
and her comrade in misery, catching a glimpse 
of her disturbed face, cried in alarm, “ Can’t 
you find any of them? ” 

“ Yes, they have been to the depot.” 

“ The little rascals! Without so much as 
asking leave! And it is such a long walk for 
Rosslyn and Janie! ” 

I suppose Billiard put ' them up to it,” 
Tabitha murmured, glad that Glory had not 
asked about Miss Davis; and she fell to dish- 
ing up potatoes with such reckless energy that 
the hot fat slopped over and blistered her 
hand. 

“ Oh! ” cried Gloriana pityingly, “ you have 
burned yourself. Let me finish taking them 
up.” 

“ No, it’s nothing. Serves me right for 
getting so provoked. I do wish I could learn 
to control my temper.” 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


95 


Gloriana remained discreetly silent, think- 
ing that Tabitha was angry because of the 
children’s latest escapade; and in silence they 
finished dinner preparations, both waiting 
anxiously, nervously for the runaways’ return. 

At length they heard them coming up the 
steep path from town, and Susie flew through 
the door with two letters in her hand. “ They 
are both for you, Tabitha,” she panted. 
“ One’s from mamma. I’d know her writing 
in the dark. Miss Davis didn’t come on to- 
day’s train, but I s’pose likely she’ll be here 
to-morrow, don’t you think? ” 

Tabitha snatched the envelopes from Susie’s 
outstretched hand, and ripped them open with 
one stroke of the knife she held, muttering 
feverishly, “ The other is from Miss Davis.” 
Her quick eyes swept the page at a single 
glance, it seemed, and a smothered groan 
escaped her. 

“What is it?” ventured Gloriana timidly, 
the morning’s foreboding gripping her anew. 

“ She has broken her leg.” 

“ Broken her leg! ” repeated the red-haired 
girl dully. 

“ Broken her leg! ” echoed mystified Susie. 


96 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


“Who? Mamma?’’ 

“ Miss Davis.” 

“ Holy snakes! ” 

“Why, Susie!” 

“ I mean — I — I — that just slipped out ac- 
cidental. I was so s’prised at wondering what 
we’d do with a broken-legged woman hopping 
around here.” 

“ But she won’t be hopping around here,” 
Tabitha grimly told her. “ She must stay flat 
on her back in bed for three weeks, and then 
it will be days and days before she can get 
around without a crutch.” 

“Then — who — will housekeep — for us?” 
gasped Susie. “ I reckon it is up to you to 
stay a while longer. Mrs. Goodale’s grand- 
baby’s got the fever and she is going to stay in 
Carson City until he’s well. He is the only 
grandbaby she’s got.” 

“ How did you hear that? ” demanded 
Tabitha, her heart sinking within her at Susie’s 
words. 

“ Don’t we know the Goodales well? She 
has only one girl, and that girl has only one 
baby.” 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


9T 


“ Oh, I didn’t mean that ! Where did you 
hear that the baby was sick? ” 

“ Mr. Porter told us at the station. He has 
just got home from Carson City, and he saw 
Mrs. Goodale there. Why don’t you read 
mamma’s letter? You hain’t looked at it yet.” 

Tabitha had completely forgotten the second 
envelope, and now hurriedly drew out the 
written page and scanned the blurred, uneven 
lines. Then without a word of explanation, 
she slipped the paper back into its envelope, 
and dropped it into her pocket, saying only, 
“ Let the children have their dinner now. 
Everything is ready.” 

But all through the meal she was unusually 
preoccupied, puzzling, pondering, struggling, 
longing to be alone with herself, and yet held 
to her post by her sense of duty. At last, how- 
ever, the hungry appetites were satisfied, the 
chattering children had gone back to their 
play, the dishes were washed and piled away 
in the cupboard, and Tabitha slipped away to 
the little room which she shared with Gloriana 
and Janie, knowing that no one would molest 
her here as long as the lame girl stood guard 
at the door. 


98 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


Once alone, she spread the two letters out 
on the bed before her and read and re-read 
them until she knew both word for word. 

Only one course lay open to her, that was 
plain ; but yet her heart rebelled hotly against 
the circumstances which made this one course 
the only right one. 

“ There never was such a girl for getting 
into scrapes,” she groaned. “ And this time 
I’ve not only got myself into one, but Gloriana 
as well. It will be six weeks at the very least 
before Miss Davis can come home, and there is 
no telling when Mrs. Goodale will be back. 
It is out of the question for Mrs. McKittrick 
to leave her husband just when he needs her 
most, even though she does offer to come. No, 
it’s up to me, as Susie says. And I did want 
to go to Catalina with Myra so much ! Here’s 
my whole summer spoiled just because of a 
hasty promise. 

" Tahitha Catt! Aren’t you ashamed of 
yourself! You know right well that Mrs. 
McKittrick never could have gone to the city 
if you hadn’t taken charge of her children, and 
the chances are that Mr. McKittrick would 
have died without her. He isn’t wholly out of 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


99 


danger even yet. You selfish wretch! What 
do you think of a person who will talk the 
way you have been doing? Oh, dear, what a 
queer world it is! I wouldn’t mind so much 
if Gloriana didn’t have to suffer, too; but it is 
too bad to keep her here on the boiling desert 
when she might be enjoying life on the Island 
or at the beach. It wouldn’t be so bad if those 
awful boys weren’t here, either; but they are 
the limit. I am on edge every minute of the 
day, looking for the next outbreak. I don’t 
believe they can be good. And yet — there’s no 
other way — out of it. I can’t let Mrs. McKit- 
trick come home just because I am too utterly 
selfish to stay here myself. She has been so 
good to me. And it is positively out of the 
question for her to have the children with her.” 

Undecided, rebellious, unhappy, Tabitha 
crossed the room to the window, and stood 
looking out over the barren mountainside. 
Should she? Could she? What ought she to 
do? On the other side of a little gully just 
opposite the window, sat Irene, rocking to and 
fro on a teetering stone, and singing in a high, 
sweet treble to a battered rag-doll, hugged 
tightly to her breast. The words floated up to 


100 TABITHA’S VACATION 


the girl in the window, indistinct at first, but 
growing clearer as the singer forgot her sur- 
roundings; and Tabitha suddenly found her- 
self listening to the queer, garbled words of the 
song that fell from the childish lips. 

“ What in creation does she think she is 
singing? ” she asked herself in amazement, 
recognizing with a fresh pang the tune 
Gloriana had begun the day with. 

Irene finished the verse and commenced 
again : 

“ Maxwellton breaks her bonnet. 

And nearly swallows two. 

An’ ’twas their hat and her locket 
Gave me a pummy stew. 

Gave me a pummy stew 
Which near forgot can be. 

And for bonnet and a locket 
I’d lame a downy deed.” 

Three times she repeated the distorted ver- 
sion of that grand old song, and somehow the 
frown of perplexity smoothed itself from the 
listener’s brow. 

“ Dear little girl,” she whispered; “ it’s your 
father and your mother! I am a selfish old 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


101 


heathen! Of course I will stay as long as I 
am needed! ” 

Quietly returning to the kitchen where 
Gloriana sat pretending to sew, she laid the 
mother’s letter on the table before the seam- 
stress, and when the gray eyes had read the 
message and glanced inquiringly up at the 
dark face beside her, Tabitha nodded her head. 
“ Yes,” she half -whispered. “ I can’t desert 
them now.” Then after a moment of silence, 
she added, “But you will go with Myra, Glory. 
Please! I’d feel so much better, knowing that 
you were having a good time.” 

The red head shook a vigorous denial. “ I 
shall stay with you,” Gloriana declared. “ I 
knew you wouldn’t leave here as long as you 
were needed, and you needn’t think I’ll let you 
stay alone. I shouldn’t have a good time at all 
if I did such a thing as that, Tabitha.” 

“But it may mean all summer,” Tabitha 
protested. “ And it does get so hot here. 
Besides, there will be little fun in such a vaca- 
tion.” 

“ Then it is up to us to make some fun,” 
said Gloriana firmly. 

“ That’s so,” Tabitha replied, startled at the 


102 TABITHA’S VACATION 


thought. “ Maybe the boys wouldn’t be such 
trials then. Let’s try it!” 

“ All right,” agreed Gloriana. 

And straightway the two girls put their 
heads together to devise some method of break- 
ing the deadly monotony of the desert days, 
and bringing added enjoyment to their trouble- 
some charges. 


CHAPTER VI 


gloriana’s burglars 

There was a glorious moon that night, and 
as the girls were washing the supper dishes, 
Tabitha proposed, “ Let’s go up to the peak 
when we are through here and watch the moon 
rise.” 

There was a moment of dead silence in the 
room. Usually the two inexperienced young 
housekeepers sought to hustle their restless, 
boisterous brood into bed as soon as the even- 
ing meal had ended and the night’s chores were 
done. What had come over her to suggest 
such a thing as an evening stroll, or climb, as 
it would be if they went up to the peak? Susie 
looked at Tabitha with incredulous eyes, then 
glanced questioningly at Mercedes, but the 
older sister was as much mystified as were the 
rest. 

“ Do you mean that, or are you joking? ” 
demanded Irene bluntly. 

103 


104 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


“ I mean it,” replied Tabitha calmly, though 
her face flushed uncomfortably under the sur- 
prised stare of eight pair of eyes. 

“ You usually chase us off to bed, you 
know,” said Susie, still wondering what the 
unexpected proposal meant. 

“ Well, it is such a lovely night, I thought 
it would be fun to follow the trail to the top 
of the mountain, and watch the moon come 
up.” 

“And tell stories?” breathed Irene, clasp- 
ing her hands ecstatically. 

“ Yes, if you wish,” laughed the senior 
housekeeper. 

“ And speak pieces I ” cried Mercedes, who 
was never tired of hearing Tabitha recite. 

“ Perhaps.” 

“ And sing songs,” suggested Rosslyn, who 
loved to listen to Gloriana’s rich, sweet voice 
carolling joyous lays or softly crooning lulla- 
byes. 

“ Maybe.” 

“ And build a bonfire to roast — ” began 
Billiard, but paused, remembering that it was 
too early for green corn yet, and not being able 
to think of anything else roastable. 


TABITHA’S VACATION 105 

“ Mosquitoes,” finished Toady mischiev- 
ously. 

But Tabitha’s face clouded anxiously. “ I 
am afraid we’ll have to let the bonfire go this 
time,” she said gravely. “ There is a law 
against such things here in Silver Bow. A 
fire is such a hard thing to fight on the desert, 
supposing it once gets started ; so no one takes 
any risks.” 

Toady’s face fell and Billiard looked rebel- 
lious, seeing which, Tabitha hastily continued, 
“ Some day we will go down to the river ” 

“Oh, and have a picnic!” squealed Susie, 
giving such an eager little hop of anticipation 
that the cup she was drying flew out of her 
hand and half-way across the room, falling 
with a dull thud in a pan of bread sponge 
which Tabitha had just been mixing. 

“ My! ” breathed Irene enviously, “ I wish 
my dishes would do that ! When I drop one it 
always bu’sts.” 

Her peculiar grievance, coupled with Susie’s 
look of utter amazement at the performance 
of her cup, caused a merry laugh all around, 
and the subject of bonfire was speedily for- 
gotten, to Tabitha’s unbounded relief. 


106 TABITHA’S VACATION 


The dishes were soon washed and piled away 
in the cupboard, the evening chores completed, 
and the troop of eager children romped gaily 
up the rocky trail to the summit of the moun- 
tain, on which the Eagles’ Nest was built. It 
was just such a night as Tabitha loved, and 
she would gladly have sat in silence the whole 
evening through, watching the barren land- 
scape lying glorified in the white moonlight; 
but not so with the younger members of the 
party. To be sure, it was a pretty picture that 
the old moon revealed to their eyes, but even 
the most beautiful pictures cannot hold a 
child’s attention long. It is excitement that 
they desire; so scarcely had the party reached 
their goal than Inez demanded imperiously, 
“ Now Tabitha, speak something for us.” 

“ Oh, not right away,” protested the older 
girl, glancing wistfully about her at the 
beauties of the night, and longing for a few 
moments of solitude that she might enjoy her- 
self in her own peculiar fashion. “ Let’s watch 
the moon come up.” 

“ No,” clamored the boys, who had heard 
Tabitha’s many talents lauded by their cousins 
until their curiosity had well-nigh reached the 


TABITHA’S VACATION 107 


bursting point. “ Speak right away. It’s no 
fun watching the old moon come up! Be- 
sides, it’s high enough now to make things as 
plain as day.” 

“ Suppose you recite something first, then,” 
suggested Gloriana, noting the wistfulness in 
the big, black eyes of her new sister. 

“ Not on your tin-type! ” Billiard emphat- 
ically declared. “ It’s ladies first, you know! 
We want Tabitha to spiel.” 

“ Well, then, what shall it be? ” sighed that 
young lady resignedly. 

“ Something with ginger in it,” was Toady’s 
prompt reply. ‘‘Not a sissy-girl piece.” 

“ About a battle or a prize-fight,” suggested 
Billiard with amusing impartiality. 

“ Barbara Fritchie,^' put in eager Irene. 

“ No, don’t,” cried Susie. “ We’ve heard 
that so often. Speak Sheridan^ s Ride/' 

“ Or Driving Home the Cows/' suggested 
Mercedes. “ I think that is so pretty, and it is 
a war piece, too.” 

“ But it is too sad,” promptly vetoed Susie. 
“We want something — noisy.” 

“ With cannons and guns,” seconded the 
boys. 


108 TABITHA’S VACATION 


So Tabitha obligingly recited the thrilling 
lines : 

‘‘ ‘ Up from the South at break of day, 
Bringing to Winchester fresh dismay. 

The affrighted air with a shudder bore. 

Like a herald in haste, to the chieftain’s door. 
The terrible grumble, and rumble, and roar. 
Telling the battle was on once more. 

And Sheridan twenty miles away.’ ” 

And her thoughts flew back to that black 
day in the dingy old town hall, when she had 
declaimed those very lines, and of the dire 
punishment which had overtaken her; but the 
sting of it was all gone now, and she found 
herself smiling at the recollection of that fate- 
ful encore. Everything was so different these 
days. She could afford to forget the old heart- 
aches and longings in the happiness which had 
come to her during the past year. 

“ ‘ Here is the steed that saved the day 
By carrying Sheridan into the fight, 

From Winchester, twenty miles away!’” 

she finished; and before the enthusiastic audi- 


TABITHA’S VACATION 109 


ence realized that the recitation was ended, she 
began Horatius at the Bridge, Then fol- 
lowed in quick succession all the thrilling war- 
time pieces at her tongue’s command, while 
the delighted children held their breath in 
wondering admiration. 

Breathless at length, she paused, and survey- 
ing the circle of faces about her, said whimsi- 
cally, “ That’s a plenty, I reckon. My throat 
is as dry as the desert ! ” 

“ Just one more! ” they pleaded eagerly. 

“ But I have spoken all I can think of now 
with guns and cannons in them.” 

“ Then give us a different kind,” wheedled 
Irene, in her most persuasive tones. 

“ That one you spoke May Day at Ivy 
Hall,” suggested Mercedes, “ when you 
tumbled off the platform.” 

“Tumbled off the platform?” echoed the 
boys in great surprise. This was an adventure 
which had never been recounted to them. 
“ How did she tumble off the platform? Tell 
us about it.” 

Tabitha merely laughed and shook her 
head, but Mercedes, elated at the opportunity 
of singing the praises of her idol, regaled them 


110 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


with a laughable description of Tabitha’s mis- 
hap. This led to other boarding school remi- 
niscences, — the christening of the vessel, 
when Cassandra took her memorable plunge 
into the ocean ; the night of the opera and their 
experiences with the runaway ostriches; the 
voice of the mysterious singer in the bell-tower, 
which some of the more timid students had 
mistaken for a ghost; and finally, the appear- 
ance of the Ivy Hall ghost itself. The McKit- 
trick girls had heard all these events recounted 
so often that they knew them almost by heart; 
but, nevertheless, they were never tired of 
listening, and drank in the stories of all those 
delightful mishaps with almost as much eager- 
ness as was displayed by Billiard and Toady, 
hearing them for the first time. 

But all frolics come to an end, and Tabitha 
at length roused with a start to announce, 
“ That clock struck ten, I am positive.” 

“What clock?” 

“ Yours. The one in the kitchen. We were 
unusually quiet, I reckon, for I was able to 
count ten strokes. We must fly into bed as 
fast as we can get there. I had no idea it was 
so late, although Janie and Rosslyn have been 


TABITHA’S VACATION 111 


snoozing for ages. Come on, let’s march. See 
who can get to the house first.” 

Away they scampered as hard as they could 
run down the rough path, while Tabitha and 
Glory wrestled with the two little sleepers, 
trying to rouse them from their slumber so 
they might walk down to the cottage instead 
of having to be carried. But Rosslyn refused 
to waken thoroughly, and created such a scene 
that it was some minutes before they could 
coax him to follow them down the trail. So 
when they entered the moonlit kitchen, lead- 
ing the stumbling boy and carrying Janie, who 
could not keep her eyes open or her feet 
under her, the rest of the family had vanished 
completely. 

“ Can they be in bed already? ” asked 
Tabitha in surprise. “ Have we been wrestl- 
ing with those children so long? ” 

Gloriana tiptoed across the floor and opened 
the door to the room where the four sisters 
slept, and disclosed four flushed faces peace- 
fully reposing on their pillows. Mercedes and 
Irene were already fast asleep, and the other 
two so near the land of Nod that their eyes 
merely fluttered open for an instant at the 


112 TABITHA’S VACATION 


sound of the opening door, and then drowsily 
fell again. 

Satisfied, Gloriana turned to Tabitha, busy 
trying to slip Rosslyn’s nightgown over his 
limp body, and whispered, “ All serene ! ” 

“ Then skip off to bed,” said the other girl. 
“ I will bring Janie when I come.” 

“ But ” 

“ Oh, it is just the bread. I want to knead 
it down once more. It won’t take me half a 
jiffy, but if I don’t do it now, it will be all 
over the floor by morning.” 

So Gloriana crept wearily away to her room, 
for it had been a long, hard, disappointing 
day, but a moment later she scurried back into 
the kitchen; and when Tabitha wheeled about 
in surprise at her hasty entrance, she laughed 
nervously, half apologetically, “ I kicked some- 
one’s shoes under the bed! Don’t know 
whether they are my own or a burglar’s! ” 

Knowing how timid the red-haired girl still 
felt on the desert at night, Tabitha refrained 
from smiling at what seemed an uncalled-for 
fright, and said reassuringly, “ No burglars 
ever visit Silver Bow. There is nothing in a 
miner’s shack to tempt them.” 


TABITHA’S VACATION 113 


“ I should think there would be plenty of 
gold nuggets,” answered Gloriana in surprise. 

“ Not many in Silver Bow houses, I reckon,” 
Tabitha placidly replied. “ But if you are 
afraid to go to bed alone, you better wait for 
me. I’ll be ready in a minute.” 

She did not mean to speak scornfully, for 
she sympathized heartily with the sensitive girl, 
remembering with what horror the desert 
nights used to fill her when Silver Bow first 
became her home. But Gloriana thought she 
detected a hint of ridicule in her companion’s 
voice, and hurriedly departed for their room 
once more, saying with a great show of 
bravado, “ Oh, I’m not afraid! Come to think 
of it, I believe I left my slippers at the foot of 
the bed, and that is probably what I hit.” 

The door closed behind her again, and 
Tabitha, smiling sympathetically at the girl’s 
attempt at bravery, began to cover the mound 
of soft, white dough in the huge pan, when a 
wild, unearthly shriek echoed through the 
house, followed by the sharp crack of a pistol, 
and the muffled fall of a body. 

For one brief instant Tabitha stood rooted 
to the spot, fairly paralyzed with horror. 


114 TABITHA’S VACATION 


Then the thought of Glory gave wings to her 
feet, and, heedless of her own danger, she flew 
for the scene of disaster, whispering to her- 
self, “ Oh, why did I leave the house unlocked 
all the evening while we were gone? ” 

As the door of her room swung back on its 
hinges, the first thing her eyes fell upon was 
the flickering, smoking, chimneyless lamp 
standing on the low dresser; and even in her 
terror she wondered how it chanced that 
careful Glory had neglected to protect the 
light properly. The next object that met 
her gaze was Glory herself, leaning white 
and limp against the closet door, holding 
a battered, smoking pistol at arm’s length 
from her. 

“ Glory, are you hurt? ” she gasped. 

‘‘ No!” 

“But the gun — the shot ” 

“No one’s shot — only the lamp chimney! 
I aimed at the — the burglars under the bed, 
and shot off the lamp chimney,” she panted, 
beginning to laugh hysterically, and tighten- 
ing her grasp on the rusty gun. 

“ Where is the burglar? ” Intrepidly she 
stooped and peered under the bed, half expect- 


TABITHA’S VACATION 115 


ing to see the disturber of their peace still hid- 
ing there. 

“ In the closet, — both of them! ” 

Two? 

“ Yes.” 

“ Oh, Glory! ” 

“ They are locked in. Here is the key.” 

“ I must go for the constable.” 

A scuffling sound suddenly issued from the 
closet, and Gloriana cried in terror, “ And 
leave me here alone with them? ” 

“ There is no other way. I’ll be gone but a 
minute. They surely can’t get loose in that 
time ! ” And she darted from the room without 
giving Gloriana opportunity for further objec- 
tions. 

Hardly had the sound of her racing foot- 
steps died away in the distance, however, when 
the red-haired guard, leaning against the door, 
half dead with fear, was electrified at hearing 
a muffled voice call through the keyhole, “ I 
say. Glory, let us out, do! We were just 
a-foolin’. Didn’t you know ’twas us? Please 
don’t turn us over to the sheriff! ” 

“ ’Twas Tabitha’s story about the Ivy Hall 
ghost that made us think of it,” pleaded 


116 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


Toady. ‘‘We ain’t sure-enough burglars. 
We just meant to scare you a little bit.” 

“ And you sure scared us enough to make 
up,” coaxed Billiard. “ Please let us out be- 
fore Tabitha gets back. She said she’d write 
Uncle Hogan the next time we got into 
trouble.” 

“ And that will mean he will take us away 
from here,” wheedled Toady. “ He’s awful 
hard on a fellow.” 

“You deserve it!” suddenly answered 
Glory, with a grimness that startled even the 
girl herself. 

“ Then you won’t let us out? ” cried the 
boys in great dismay. 

“ I — I haven’t decided yet,” Gloriana was 
forced to admit. 

“But Tabitha will be back directly.” 

“ Yes, she’s a swift runner. I don’t think 
she will be gone long.” Glory was beginning 
to enjoy the strange situation. 

“Oh, Glory, don’t keep us here, please!” 
prayed Billiard desperately. 

“We’ll never play burglar again!” 
promised repentant Toady. 


TABITHA’S VACATION 117 


“ No, it will be something else the next 
time,” said their jailer heartlessly. 

“ If you’ll just set us free this time, we’ll 
be reg’lar sissy girls all the rest of the sum- 
mer,” they cried. 

“ You have promised so many times — ” 
Glory began wearily. 

“ Oh, I can hear her coming! ” cried Toady, 
half frantic at thought of the constable whom 
Tabitha had gone to summon. 

Gloriana thought she could, also, and swiftly 
turning the key in the lock, she let the quaking 
prisoners out, urging them on with a violent 
push as they scurried past her, and hissing 
in their ears, “ Scamper! If you aren’t in 
bed when she gets here, she’ll know you did 
it.” 

But they needed no urging. Their feet 
scarcely touched the floor, it seemed to Glor- 
iana, as they made a mad rush for their room ; 
and when Tabitha returned a moment later, 
alone, they lay tense and breathless under the 
coverlets of the cot. 

“ Glory! ” they heard her ejaculate. ‘‘ You 
let them get away from you!” 

‘‘ I couldn’t help it,” replied the red-haired 


118 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


girl in excited tones. “ Couldn’t you get any- 
one? Wasn’t the constable at home? ” 

“ No, but he’ll investigate as soon as ” 

The rest of the sentence was lost in the 
slamming of a door; but the two culprits lay 
and quaked with fear long after the rest of 
the household was fast asleep, little dream- 
ing that as soon as the door was tightly 
closed so they could no longer distinguish 
the voices. Glory had wheeled on Tabitha 
and giggled accusingly, “You knew all the 
time ! ” 

“ Not until I ran past their door and saw 
their bed was empty,” whispered the black- 
haired girl with her hand over her mouth to 
stifle the laughter she could no longer sup- 
press. 

“What possessed you to keep on, then?” 

“ I surmised what would happen, and de- 
cided to scare them a little, too. So I crept 
around the house and listened to you talking 
with them. AVhen they thought they heard 
me coming back, I concluded it was time I did 
put in appearance again; but I thought I’d 
die laughing to hear them scuttling into bed. 
Now I reckon the score is even! ” 


TABITHA’S VACATION 119 

“ Then you won’t tell their Uncle this 
time?” 

“ I ought to.” 

“ They’ve had a big punishment already. 
Puss.” 

“ They deserve it.” 

“ I — I scared them stiff when I shot.” 

“ Poor girlie, and you were as badly scared 
yourself. My brave Glory! ” 

“Don’t praise me, Kitty. I’m an awful 
coward. My teeth are chattering yet.” 

“ And you are trembling as if you had the 
ague. Are you sure you’re not hurt? I 
thought I heard something fall.” 

“ The gun kicked and knocked me over,” 
Gloriana admitted. “ That is what gave the 
boys a chance to scramble into the closet. I 
didn’t know it was Billiard and Toady then, 
because the bullet splintered the lamp chimney 
and I couldn’t see real well.” 

“ But you locked them in.” 

“Oh, that was easy! They were holding 
the door shut with all their might, and the only 
thing left to do was to turn the key in the 
lock. I am so thankful it was only a prank! ” 


120 TABITHA’S VACATION 


“ So am I/’ Tabitha admitted grudgingly. 
“ But I can’t say I relish that class of pranks.” 

“ Give them another chance, Tabitha. I 
think they really are trying to be good.” 

“ Well, I’ll— see. We’ll forget all about it 
now and go to sleep. Morning can’t be very 
far off.” 


CHAPTER VII 


TOADY AND THE CASTOR BEANS 

But when morning dawned, Gloriana lay 
flushed and feverish upon her pillow, her head 
throbbing until she could scarcely open her 
eyes. Tabitha was alarmed, and between her 
worry over the sick girl lying in their darkened 
room, and her ministrations to croupy Janie, 
who had caught cold sleeping in the night air 
on the mountain top, the poor housekeeper 
was so nearly distracted that she had little 
time to devote to the rest of her large family, 
and they wandered about the premises like so 
many disconsolate chicks who had lost their 
mother. It was an ideal time to get into mis- 
chief, and yet something restrained them. 

The girls, it seemed, had slept through all 
the racket of the previous night, and were not 
aware that anything out of the ordinary had 
occurred, but they could not understand the 
121 


122 TABITHA’S VACATION 


tense atmosphere; and when Mercedes heroic- 
ally tried to fill Tabitha's place the other 
members of the brood resented her authority, 
frankly found fault with her badly cooked oat- 
meal and unsalted potatoes, and insulted her 
attempts at housekeeping in such a heartless, 
unfeeling manner that she finally dissolved in 
tears and refused to do anything further to- 
ward their comfort. Susie and Inez quarreled 
over the dishes and had the sulks all day. The 
boys, still fearful of the consequences of their 
latest prank, and somewhat remorseful at hav- 
ing frightened Gloriana into a fever, wandered 
aimlessly away toward town, glad to escape 
from Tabitha’s watchful eye, and greatly re- 
lieved to think no mention had been made by 
anyone of the burglars’ visit. 

“ Guess the girls couldn’t have heard the 
noise last night,” ventured Toady, when they 
had left the house far enough behind to make 
it impossible for anyone to overhear their con- 
versation. 

“ The girls? ” repeated Billiard blankly, his 
thoughts on another phase of the situation. 

“ Mercedes and Susie and the twins, I 


mean. 


TABITHA’S VACATION 123 


‘‘ Oh ! P’r’aps Tabitha’s making ’em keep 
still.” 

“ Do you think Tabitha knows we did it? ” 
cried Toady in alarm. 

“ Naw, you ninny! That is, not ’nless 
Glory’s gone and squealed.” 

“ But ” 

“ I meant she’d prob’ly try to hush them up 
if they had heard our racket, so’s the whole 
town wouldn’t know about the burglars.” 

“ Why? That’s just what is worrying me. 
If she has hushed them up, it’s just to make us 
believe she doesn’t suspect. I’ll bet the con- 
stable will be up there bright and early with 
his d’tectives, asking all sorts of questions, and 
everyone in Silver Bow will join in the hunt.” 

“ Then we’ll be found out even if Glory 
doesn’t tell.” 

Toady nodded gloomily. 

“ It’ll go hard with us if the constable should 
find out who did it.” 

Again Toady nodded. 

“ We — better — light — out — now.” 

Toady stopped stock-still in the roadway. 
“ Why? ” he demanded. 

“ Do you want to go to jail? ” 


124 TABITHA’S VACATION 


“ Naw, but they don’t put kids in jail here. 
I s’pose likely we’d get a good thrashing ” 

“ Would you rather stay here and take 
a whaling than skip while you’ve got the 
chance? ” cried Billiard, turning pale at the 
mere thought of such a punishment at the 
hands of a desert constable, who, somehow, in 
his imagination, had assumed the proportions 
and disposition of a monster. 

“ We — we deserve a sound licking,” bravely 
replied Toady, whose conscience was troubling 
him sorely. 

It was Billiard’s turn to halt in the rocky 
road and stare with unbelieving eyes at his 
brother, finally finding vent for his feelings by 
hissing the single word, “ Coward! ” 

“No more coward than you!” Toady 
denied. “We have been as mean as dirt ever 
since we came here, and if Tabitha had been 
as hateful as most girls are, she’d have written 
Uncle Hogan long ago.” 

“ So you’re fishing to get her to write, are 
you?” 

“No, I ain’t, but I believe she’d — like it — 
better — if we told her ourselves, instead of 
getting found out by someone else.” 


TABITHA’S VACATION 125 


‘‘ Oh ! Going to turn goody-goody, are 
you?” sneered Billiard, not willing to admit 
that he had been thinking similar thoughts. 

Toady bristled. “ I hate goody-goodies as 
bad as you do,” he said, with eyes flashing. 
“ But I’m going to own up to my part in last 
night’s racket. We might have scared Glory 
to death.” 

“ Pooh! You make me sick! Suppose you 
think she’ll let you off easy if you squeal. 
Well, go ahead, tattler! You will change 
your mind maybe, when she writes to Uncle 
Hogan.” 

“ If she wants to write Uncle Hogan, Ifet 
her write ! ” screamed the exasperated Toady, 
stung by his brother’s taunts. “ I’m going to 
quit bothering them right here and now; and 
what’s more, I’m going to own up, too.” 

“ Tattler! ” 

Toady turned on his heel and strode 
haughtily away, not daring to trust himself to 
further speech. 

“ Coward! ’Fraid cat! Sissy girl! ” jeered 
Billiard. 

That was the last straw. The younger boy 
wheeled about and retraced his steps in a slow. 


126 TABITHA’S VACATION 


ominous manner. Thrusting his angry 
face close to Billiard’s, and shaking his 
clenched fist under his nose, he said quietly, 
“ Say that again if you dare, Williard 
McKittrick! ” 

Billiard was delighted. He had succeeded 
in making Toady mad, and now he would have 
the pleasure of thrashing him. He felt just 
like pounding someone. 

“Coward! ’Fraid cat! Sis ” 

A white fist shot out with accurate aim, strik- 
ing the bully squarely between the eyes. A 
shower of stars danced merrily about him, 
blood spurted from his nose, and the next 
thing he knew, he was stretched fiat on the 
rocky ground, with a grim-faced Toady bend- 
ing over him. 

“ Do you take it back? ” a menacing voice 
was asking. 

“ You — you — ” spluttered the angry victim, 
mopping his streaming nose with his coat 
sleeve. 

“Or do you want some more?” The 
doubled-up fist drew perilously near the dis- 
figured face in the gravel. 

“ That’s it! Hit a fellow when he’s down! ” 


TABITHA’S VACATION 127 


taunted the fallen bully, still unable to realize 
just what had happened. 

“ I shan’t hit you while you’re down,” said 
Toady calmly but decisively. “ I’ll let you get 
onto your pins and then I’ll knock them from 
under you again.” 

And Billiard, looking up into the deter- 
mined face above him, knew that it was no idle 
threat. Toady was in deadly earnest, but still 
the older boy temporized. It would never do 
to give in to Toady. If he took such a step as 
that, his leadership was gone forever. “ Aw, 
come off ! ” he began, in what he meant to be 
jocular tones. “ Quit your fooling and let me 
up! I’ve swallowed a bucket of blood al- 
ready! ” 

“ Will you take it back, or shall I pummel 
the stuffing out of you? ” 

Billiard capitulated. “ I take it back,” he 
said sullenly, “ but,” — as Toady removed his 
knees from his chest and allowed him to rise — 
“ I’ll get even with you for this.” 

“ All right,” responded the younger boy 
cheerfully. “ But don’t forget that you will 
get what’s coming to you, too.” 

“Don’t be so sure, sonny! You took me 


128 TABITHA’S VACATION 


off guard; you know you did, or you’d never 
have laid me out. You weren’t fair.” 

Toady, tasting his first victory over his bully 
brother, and finding it very sweet, suggested 
casually, “I’ll scrap you any time you say. 
Now, if you like.” 

“ My head aches too bad,” said the other 
hastily. “ That was a nasty place to fall. It’s 
a wonder it didn’t fracture my skull.” 

Toady looked back at the spot which Billiard 
had adorned a moment before, and remorse 
overtook him. “I’m sorry, old chap, if I hurt 
you,” he said contritely. “ I wasn’t aiming to 
put you out of business, but you made me so 
all-fired mad ” 

“ Aw, forget it! I was just fooling,” pro- 
tested Billiard, shamed by Toady’s frank and 
manly confession. “ Say, ain’t that the 
haunted house the girls are always talking 
about? ” 

“ Which? Maybe ’tis. It’s the last one 
in town, they said. Mercy promised to point 
it out the next time we climbed the trail be- 
hind the house. Do you s’pose it really is 
haunted? ” 

“ I dunno,” Billiard answered indifferently. 


TABITHA’S VACATION 129 


Haunted houses in his opinion were things 
to be avoided. He had merely sought to 
distract Toady’s thoughts from their fistic 
encounter by mentioning the place. But the 
younger boy’s curiosity was aroused, and as 
they neared the deserted, unpainted, dilapi- 
dated hut, he studied it closely. To him it 
looked like any other untenanted shack in the 
mining town, and so he said musingly, “ I 
wonder if that man really did kill himself 
there, or was he murdered? ” 

Billiard shivered. “ Mercedes said he died 
there. That’s all I know.” 

“ She told me he was found dead, with all 

his pockets turned inside out, and ” 

“ Oh, Toady,” interrupted Billiard again, 
“ here’s a plant just like those mamma 
always has in her garden. I didn’t s’pose 
things like that would grow here on the 
desert.” 

“ That’s a castor bean.” 

“ Like they make castor oil of? ” 

“ Sure! At least, I guess so. Glory told 
me it’s the only thing green on the desert that 
the burros won’t eat. Folks could have 
flowers here the same as back home if water 


130 TABITHA’S VACATION 


didn’t cost so much, and the burros didn’t eat 
the plants as fast as they came up.” 

“ It’s the first castor bean Fve seen here.” 

“ Why, there’s a whole bunch down hy the 
drug-store! We’ve passed them dozens of 
times. Where are your eyes? ” 

Billiard’s face flushed wrathfully. Toady’s 
recent victory had made him suddenly very 
important and domineering, but his fists were 
certainly hard enough to deal a telling blow; 
so the older boy, still caressing his swollen, 
aching nose, thought it wise to overlook such 
sarcastic flings, and, pretending to be deeply 
interested in the queer-leaved plant, he 
casually asked, “ Do they all have such funny 
burrs on them? ” 

“ When they’re big enough. That’s where 
the castor beans themselves grow.” 

Billiard gingerly picked one of the strange 
balls and minutely examined the hooked 
prickles of the reddish covering. Then with 
his jack-knife he proceeded to investigate the 
inside. “ Do you s’pose they really make 
castor oil out of these? I don’t see how they 
can.” 

“ Glory says they do.” 


TABITHA’S VACATION 131 


“ The insides smell something like castor 
oil, but they don’t look at all oily.” 

“ I’ll bet they taste oily.” 

“ Stump you to eat one! ” 

“ Huh! It doesn’t bother me to take castor 
oil. I can eat anything! ” To prove his boast, 
he plumped one white bean into his mouth, 
and chewed it down with apparent relish. 

Billiard watched him with eagle eyes to see 
that he actually did swallow it, then held out 
another, and Toady obediently munched it. 
Three, four, five, — bean by bean they disap- 
peared down his throat; but at last he re- 
belled. 

“You hain’t tasted one. Billiard McKit- 
trick ! How many do you think you are going 
to feed me? ” 

The brother laughed derisively. “ Wanted 
to see how big a fool you was,” he jeered. 
“ Thought you were going to eat all there 
were on the bush.” 

Toady made no reply. The beans tasted 
anything but appetizing, and already the boy 
was beginning to feel queer. 

“ Sure you don’t want some more? ” teased 
Billiard. 


132 TABITHA’S VACATION 


“ No. Guess I’ll go home.” 

“ And tat — tell about last night? ” Billiard 
remembered all at once the reason they were 
so far from the Eagles’ Nest, and was alarmed 
lest Toady’s threatened confession should 
involve him also. 

“ Y-e-s.” 

‘‘ I think you’re downright mean, Toady 
McKittrick! ” 

“ I shan’t tell on you.” 

‘‘ Might as well! They will know I was in 
it.” 

“ And you know you ought to own up, too.” 

“ Cut it out, good — Toady. If you won’t 
tell. I’ll not plague them — nor you — any 
more.” 

Toady silently plodded on, and in exaspera- 
tion Billiard caught him by the shoulder and 
shook him roughly. 

“ Le’ go! ” muttered the boy. “ I’m going 
home, I tell you! Ge’ out my way! ” 

The white misery of that round, freckled 
face as it turned toward him struck terror to 
the older brother’s heart, and he excitedly de- 
manded, “ What’s the matter, kid? Are you 
sick? ” 


TABITHA’S VACATION 133 


“Feel funny,” panted the castor-bean 
victim. “ I — want — to — lie — down.” 

“ Let’s hurry then. We’ll soon be home.” 
Billiard was genuinely alarmed now, and 
seizing the other’s cold hand, he tried to 
hasten the lagging steps up the rocky trail. 
But Toady was really too ill to care what 
happened or where he went, and he stumbled 
blindly on, tripping over a loose pebble here, 
or bruised by staggering into a boulder there, 
protesting one minute that he could go no 
further, and the next instant begging Billiard 
to hurry faster. 

At length, however, the house was reached, 
and Toady drifted like a crumpled leaf across 
the threshold and lay down in the middle of 
the floor. Irene had seen them coming, and 
rushed pell-mell for Tabitha, shrieking in 
horrifled accents, “ Kitty, oh, Kitty, they’ve 
been to a s’loon and got drunk! ” 

So Tabitha was somewhat pxepared for 
their dramatic entrance; but one glance at the 
livid lips, pinched nose and heavy, lusterless 
eyes would have convinced her that Irene was 
mistaken, even if Billiard had not caught the 
words and indignantly denied it. However, 


134 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


recalling a certain episode in Jerome Vane’s 
life in Silver Bow, she demanded severely, 
“ How many cigarettes has he smoked, Bil- 
liard McKittrick?” 

“ He hain’t been smoking at all! ” declared 
that young gentleman, more ruffled at Ta- 
bitha’s tone than at her accusation. “ He — 
he — I dared him to eat some castor-beans, and 
I guess they made him sick.” 

“ Castor-beans ! ” shrieked Tabitha in wild 
alarm. “ Go for the doctor at once. Dr. 
Hayes at the drug-store 1 Tell him it’s castor- 
beans. He worked all night to save the Horan 
children who ate them once.” 

Billiard had shot out of the door before the 
words were out of her mouth and was half-way 
down the trail before the dazed girl awoke 
with a start to the realization that something 
must be done at once for the suffering boy on 
the floor, or it might be too late. “We must 
make him vomit,” she said to red-eyed Mer- 
cedes, who had come out of her hiding-place to 
see what was the cause of all the commotion. 

“ But how? ” 

“ I don’t know myself what emetic would be 
best. They use mustard and warm water for 


TABITHA’S VACATION 135 


some poisons, and — oh, I remember! Bring 
me that three-cornered, blue bottle from the 
cupboard, Susie. Hurry! Your mother told 
me to use plenty of that if any of you got 
poisoned. Mercedes, light the stove and set 
on the tea kettle. Inez, get the boy’s bed 
ready, and Irene, bring some clean towels from 
the closet.” 

Tabitha had suddenly grown calm again, 
and as she issued orders to the panic-stricken 
sisters, she was deftly at work herself, pouring 
the vile-tasting emetic down poor, unresisting 
Toady’s throat. She worked hard and furi- 
ously, fearful that her efforts might fail, and 
her heart sank within her as she watched the 
white face grow whiter and listened to the 
weak moans which escaped his lips with every 
breath. 

Would the doctor never come? The sus- 
pense was horrible. When it seemed as if she 
must scream with frenzy, the five watchers on 
the door-step shouted wildly, “ He’s coming, 
he’s coming! Billiard found him and he’s got 
his v’lise ! ” 

Another instant and he was in the kitchen 
kneeling beside the limp form on the floor. 


136 TABITHA’S VACATION 


and working as he questioned. It was over at 
last, the boy was pronounced out of danger, 
and Tabitha, weak and trembling, felt her 
strength suddenly ooze from her limbs. 

“Here, here, none of that!” commanded 
the physician in gruff but kindly tones. 
“ There is no use of fainting now, my girl, 
when you have done your work so well. But 
for your efforts before I got here, the chap 
might have been — well, he can thank his 
lucky stars that he is in the land of the living.” 

Perhaps Toady heard, for when Tabitha 
bent over him a few moments later, the brown 
eyes fluttered weakly open, and the repentant 
sinner murmured, “ How is Glory? ” 

“ Better. She will be well by morning. 
But you mustn’t talk now.” 

“ Yes, I must, ’cause I made her sick. I 
burgled — that is, I pretended I was a burglar 
last night and hid under your bed. I only 
meant to scare you, though. Honest!” 

“ Sh! I know all about it. Go to sleep 
now. Toady.” When seeing an unspoken 
question in his eyes, she answered, “No, Glory 
didn’t give you away. I found it out myself.” 

“ The constable ” 


TABITHA’S VACATION 137 


‘‘ I never went for him at all. He doesn’t 
know a thing about it.” 

“ Uncle Hogan — I expect you’d better write 
him. It was awful mean of me, and I’m sorry, 
but he ought to know.” 

“ Not this time, Toady. I am sure you will 
not forget again.” 

A great light of relief crept into the big, 
brown eyes, and Toady answered with all the 
vim he could muster, “ You are right, I won’t.” 


















CHAPTER VIIT 


BILLIARD RUNS AWAY 

Billiard, white, scared, remorseful, had 
crept away up the mountainside the minute 
he had seen Dr. Hayes bending beside the 
still form on the kitchen floor, and re- 
mained in his retreat, watching the house with 
frightened eyes, imtil the physician’s bulky 
flgure strode down the path toward town 
again. Then, flinging himself face down 
in the gravel, he sobbed in unrestrained 
relief, until, exhausted by the strain of his 
recent fearful experience, he fell asleep in the 
shadow of a ragged boulder, where late that 
afternoon Tabitha found him, after a vain 
search about house and yard. 

Surprised at having caught a glimpse of this 
unsuspected side of the bully’s character, she 
beat a hasty retreat, and with the tact of a 
diplomat, sent one of the younger girls in quest 
139 


140 TABITHA’S VACATION 


of him, feeling that he might resent being 
awakened by her while the trace of tears still 
showed on his face. Nor was she mistaken in 
this surmisal, for the instant the boy’s eyes 
unclosed in response to Susie’s energetic shak- 
ing, he demanded, “ Does Tabitha — know 
where I am? ” 

“ She wouldn’t have set the rest of us to 
hunting if she had, would she? ” 

“ Well, ’tain’t necessary for you to tell her 
I was asleep. The sun was so hot it made my 
head ache, and I guess it has burned my face 
to a blister,” cautiously touching his puffed, 
smarting cheeks. 

Susie eyed the swollen lids and scarlet visage 
suspiciously, but for once held her tongue, only 
announcing briefly as she started on a trot 
down the trail, “ We’re waiting supper for 
you.” 

“ Well, you needn’t for I’m not hungry. 
Tell Tabitha I don’t want anything to eat. I 
am going to bed. My head aches.” 

“ All right,” retorted Susie, too cheerfully, 
he thought with bitterness in his heart, as he 
followed her nimble feet toward the house. 
He had hoped she would at least express some 


TABITHA’S VACATION 141 


sympathy for his aching head; but what did 
she care? What did anyone care about him? 
Morosely he shambled along behind his agile 
cousin; but instead of entering the kitchen, 
which was of necessity also the dining-room, 
he chose the front door, and quietly sought 
the room where he and his brother slept. 

Toady’s pale face on the pillow made him 
pause on the threshold, while a twinge of re- 
morse tugged at his heart, but the victim, hear- 
ing the creak of the opening door, opened his 
round eyes, and smiling beatifically, asked in 
a weak voice, “ Seen Tabitha? ” 

Billiard grunted an unintelligible reply. 

“ Tell you what, she’s a crackerjack! ” con- 
tinued the invalid. Then, as Billiard’s only 
answer was a vicious jerk which divested him 
of collar and waist at a single effort. Toady 
cried in surprise, “ Why, Bill, have you had 
your supper? ” 

“ Don’t want any ! ” growled the other, tug- 
ging savagely at his boots. 

“ What’s the matter? Sick?” 

‘‘Headache!” 

You didn’t eat any castor-beans, did 
you? ” 


142 TABITHA’S VACATION 


Billiard paused in the act of crawling into 
bed to glare angrily at his brother, thinking 
he was being made fun of; but Toady’s 
cherubic face seemed to allay his suspicions, 
and he briefly, but savagely replied, “ Naw! ” 
You better tell Tabitha — ” began Toady 
in genuine solicitude; but Billiard again mis- 
construed his brother’s meaning, and inter- 
rupted, “ Aw, shut up! Let a feller alone for 
once, can’t you? ” And as Billiard wriggled 
into bed, puzzled Toady lapsed into silence. 

Tabitha, too, was puzzled by the older boy’s 
actions. She had hoped that the poisoning of 
his brother would awake his better nature if 
nothing else would, so she was keenly disap- 
pointed, as well as surprised, at the change 
which now took place in him. 

“ It seems so strange,” she confided to 
Gloriana. “ He acted so terribly cut up the 
day he brought Toady home sick, that I 
thought it would cure him of his mean mis- 
chief, at least. But now he seems bent on 
trying to find the limit of human endurance — 
doubling his mischief and being more ag- 
gravatingly hateful than ever.” 

“ Perhaps he is getting even for Toady’s 


TABITHA’S VACATION 143 

reform,” suggested the red-haired girl, looking 
worried. 

“Toady — bless the boy!” exclaimed Ta- 
bitha fervently. “ I should go wild if he had 
taken the streak Billiard has.” 

“ And yet I can see how provoking it must 

be to Bill ” 

“ Why, Gloriana! ” 

“ I mean that Toady’s declaration of inde- 
pendence would naturally rouse Bill’s ‘ mad,’ 
as Rosslyn says, when Toady had blindly fol- 
lowed his leadership for so long. And besides, 
the way Toady flaunts his virtues in his 

brother’s face ” 

“ That is rather amusing, isn’t it? ” 
“Provoking? I should say! Billiard has 
been used to saying the word and Toady has 
obeyed. It’s rather a — a — jar, to be defied, or 

ignored all of a sudden. Bill is bright ” 

“ Too bright,” sighed Tabitha, somewhat 
sarcastically, Gloriana thought. 

“He is bright!” championed the younger 
girl warmly. “ This morning I happened to 
overhear him teasing the girls at play under 
the kitchen window, and he declared that it 
was a mistake for Inez and Irene to be twins ; 


144 TABITHA’S VACATION 


that it should have been Susie and Inez, and 
then their names would have been Suez and 
Inez/' 

Tabitha smiled in spite of herself, then said 
heatedly, “ But he is so mean about it ! To-day 
while you were at the bakery and he thought 
I had gone for the mail, I heard a commotion 
in the yard, and what do you suppose I found 
him doing? ” 

Gloriana shook her head. 

“ He had the girls and Rosslyn lined up by 
the woodpile and was making them carry in 
his wood. Even little Janie was loaded down 
with two immense sticks, so heavy she could 
hardly toddle with them.” 

“ What did you do? ” 

“ Made them drop their loads right where 
they were, and he had to carry it all in by 
himself.” 

“ Without even Toady’s help? ” 

“All by himself!” repeated Tabitha em- 
phatically. 

“ I am afraid — we are not apt — to ” 

“To what? ” asked Tabitha, as her com- 
panion stammered in confusion and paused 
abruptly. 


TABITHA’S VACATION 145 


“ To gain anything — much of anything by 
trying to force Billiard into being good.” 

“ How are we to make him mind, then? He 
won’t coax. You can’t flatter him into behav- 
ing himself, and threats don’t do a mite of 
good. I think a smart dose of the hickory 
stick would be the most effective medicine for 
such cases as his.” 

Glory looked dubious. 

“ You don’t agree with me? ” suggested 
Tabitha. 

“ He is such a big boy to be thrashed,” she 
evaded. 

“ He is such a big boy to act that way! ” 

“Yes, that’s true, but ” 

How she would have finished her sentence 
Tabitha never found out, for at that moment 
a piercing scream broke the stillness of the 
desert afternoon, followed by a medley of ex- 
cited accusations, denials, threats, and Bil- 
liard’s taunting laugh. Tabitha flew to the 
rescue of her brood and found Irene stretched 
full length in the gravel, with Mercedes and 
Toady deluging her with water, while the rest 
of the sisters danced frantically about the trio. 

“He — he shot her!” cried Rosslyn indig- 


146 TABITHA’S VACATION 


nantly, at sight of the slender figure in the 
doorway. 

“ I gave her fair warning,” said defiant 
Billiard. 

“ Hand me your gun ! ” demanded Tabitha 
in exasperation, after a hasty examination of 
the victim had convinced her that Irene was 
more frightened than hurt. 

“Gun! Ha, ha, ain’t that rich?” mocked 
Billiard. 

“ ’Twas a slingshot,” volunteered Toady. 

“ And he shooted a rock,” added Janie. 

Tabitha held out her hand with an im- 
perious gesture. “ Pass it over quietly, or I 
shall make you.” 

Billiard calmly pocketed the article in dis- 
pute, and seeing that Irene was recovering 
under the heroic treatment of her amateur 
nurses, he seated himself in tantalizing silence 
upon the saw-horse, as if to enjoy the scene 
he had created. But his enjoyment was short 
lived. Tabitha, now thoroughly aroused, and 
forgetful of her dignity, swooped down upon 
the tormentor, wrested his slingshot from his 
grasp, and before anyone could divine her 
intentions, seized a barrel stave from the wood- 



THE ROPE SWAYED AND STRAINED AS TABITIIA SLID OUT OF 

SIGHT. 



TABITHA’S VACATION 147 


pile and gave the surprised boy a sound 
drubbing. 

In the midst of the thrashing, there came 
vividly to her mind her childish horror of that 
day of reckoning with her father, when he 
had struck her with one of his slippers, and 
she recalled the fact that it was not the 
physical hurt, but the humiliation of the blow 
which had wounded her most deeply. Fling- 
ing down the stick, she released the struggling 
lad as suddenly as she had seized him; and in 
tones that sounded husky in spite of herself, 
briefly ordered, ‘‘ Go to your room! ” 

Angry, stunned, shamed. Billiard bounced 
through the kitchen, slammed the door of his 
room, turned the key in the lock and — stood 
still in the middle of the floor. Whipped by 
a girl not four years his senior! Whipped by 
a girl! It was an unforgivable outrage. He 
would get even for that. But what was he to 
do? Would could he do? She had beaten him 
at every turn, she had set Toady against him, 
she had made him the laughing stock of his 
cousins. He — he — he would do something 
desperate. He would 

As if in answer to his thoughts, he heard a 


148 TABITHA’S VACATION 


strange voice close beside the open window 
say, “ Yes, he has run away. The inspector 
completed his job this morning, found 
Atwater’s accounts five hundred dollars short, 
and he skipped.” 

“ Who? ” demanded Mercedes. “ The post- 
master? ” 

“Yep! Lit out. Can’t have been gone 
more’n an hour, but no one seems to have seen 
him anywhere around town, and they are 
scouring the country for him.” 

Billiard drew a deep breath. That was an 
idea. Why hadn’t he thought of it before? 
He, too, would run away. Stealthily he crept 
to the little closet, selected a clean shirt, a 
pair of stockings, a necktie, and his pajamas, 
tied them up in a bath-towel, not having such 
a thing in his wardrobe as a bandana hand- 
kerchief, although he felt that this was an 
essential; and after a cautious survey of the 
premises to make sure that the children were 
nowhere near, he crawled out of the window, 
carefully shut the screen again, and darted 
swiftly down the steep, pathless incline on the 
west side of the house to the fiat below. It 
was a hazardous undertaking, and at any 


TABITHA’S VACATION 149 


other time he would have shrunk from attempt- 
ing it, hut in his unreasonable anger and 
desire for revenge, all else was forgotten; and 
he arrived at the sandy bottom breathless, 
badly scratched by the mesquite, and smarting 
from the prick of cactus thorns, but tri- 
umphant. 

Pausing only long enough to shake his fist 
defiantly at the house on the cliff above, he 
made off across the desert as fast as his legs 
would carry him. His first idea had been to 
follow the railroad, but on second thought he 
concluded that he might easily be overtaken 
and brought back if he took that course. So 
after a brief survey of the pathless landscape, 
he decided to skirt the mountains in whose 
hollow lay the town of Silver Bow, and to 
strike off to the west, in the direction of a 
neighboring mining camp called Crystal 
City. 

“ If I should miss that place,” he reasoned 
to himself, “ I am sure to get somewhere. 
Perhaps to Los Angeles that Mercy goes 
so crazy about. Say, that’s just the thing! It 
takes only about twelve hours to get there by 
train ; I ought to be able to walk it in two days. 


150 TABITHA’S VACATION 


and I’ll join the navy. I always did want to 
be a sailor! ” 

So he trudged sturdily on through the heavy 
sand of the flats, building air castles and nurs- 
ing his wrath, but paying little heed to the 
course he was taking, until with a shiver of 
alarm he discovered that the afternon sun had 
set and the range of white-capped mountains 
which sheltered Crystal City was seemingly 
no nearer than when he had set out. He 
began to feel faint with hunger and thirst, and 
was appalled to think he had forgotten in his 
flight to pack any lunch in his small store of 
belongings, and was now what seemed miles 
from civilization, in the midst of the pathless 
desert with neither food nor drink, and night 
coming on. 

Night! He shuddered. How could he have 
forgotten the night part of it? Where was 
he to stay? He was afraid of the desert dark- 
ness. Somehow, it always seemed blacker and 
stiller there than anywhere else on earth. But 
perhaps the moon would come up. That 
would be lots of company, and the weather 
was so warm that he would really enjoy sleep- 
ing out in the open air. Eagerly he scanned 


TABITHA’S VACATION 151 


the evening sky, and perceiving that the east 
appeared to be growing lighter, his spirits 
began to rise. After all, he was not sorry he 
had run away. Wouldn’t there be consterna- 
tion in the Eagles’ Nest when his absence was 
discovered? How Tabitha would regret her 
unwarranted harshness ! And Toady — Toady 
would cry and snivel because he had deserted 
his dear, big brother in his hour of need. And 
searching parties would be sent all over the 
country to find him. How he gloated over 
the pictures his vivid imagination had drawn! 

But all the while he stumbled on, it was 
growing darker, the landscape had become an 
indistinct blur, and night sounds filled the air. 
The lonely howl of a wolf in the distance sent 
a chill of fear down Billiard’s spine; the scream 
of a night-hawk overhead made him jump al- 
most out of his shoes, and he was just begin- 
ning to consider where he should lie down to 
sleep when a sudden scurry in the underbrush 
froze him in his tracks. The next minute, 
however, he laughed at his fright, for it was 
merely a mother burro and her baby colt which 
his steps had routed from their hiding-place 
and sent flying across the flats for safety. A 


152 TABITHA’S VACATION 


twig snapping sharply under his feet startled 
him; what sounded like a warning hiss close 
by brought his heart into his mouth; and 
trembling from head to foot he paused by a 
clump of Spanish bayonets, uncertain what 
to do next. 

Oh, if only he had not run away! If only 
he were sitting with the rest of the lively troop 
of children around the supper table! Or per- 
haps it was too late for supper now. More 
likely they would be preparing for bed. What 
frolics they had enjoyed in the evenings when 
Tabitha made taffy and recited stirring bal- 
lads to fill in the moments while the tooth- 
some sweet was cooking. What exciting tales 
his cousins told of the brave, black-haired maid 
whom he was trying so hard to hate. He did 
hate her! That is, sometimes he did. But he 
could not help admiring her pluck, even 
though he stood in awe of the fierce temper 
that blazed up so quickly, and as quickly died 
away again. She was certainly a wonder for 
a girl. There was no Traid cat about her. 
He wished she liked him better. But how 
could she, when he was so tantalizing, mean 
and sly? Perhaps if he went back home, that 
is, to Aunt 


TABITHA’S VACATION 153 


“Hands up! We’ve got you at last!” 
growled a stern voice almost in his ear, it 
seemed; and poor Billiard’s hands shot high 
into the air, he shut his eyes, held his breath 
and waited for the end. But to his utter 
amazement, a second voice huskily replied, 
after an instant, “ Yes, you’ve got me, boys. I 
knew it was no use to run away, but — I — 
couldn’t bear — to stay — and know that every- 
one looked at me as a thief. I never took the 
money.” 

The moon, which had seemed so slow in ris- 
ing, had finally mounted to the crest of the 
surrounding hills, and poured a stream of 
mellow light upon the waste below. Billiard, 
his hands still thrust stiffly above his head, now 
distinguished a few feet in front of him the 
dark shapes of a dozen or more men, armed 
with revolvers, clustering around one whom 
he recognized as Atwater, the runaway post- 
master of Silver Bow. 

“ That’s all right, Atwater,” growled the 
first speaker, who was evidently leader of the 
posse. “ Tell your tale in court, but be a man 
and face the music. Fall in, boys! ” 

For a long time. Billiard watched them as 


154 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


they marched their hapless prisoner back to 
town, and the leader’s words kept ringing in 
his ears, “Be a man and face the music!” 
Suddenly a new thought flashed through his 
brain. Why had he not followed them? It 
wasn’t too late yet. He could still see their 
forms indistinctly moving across the desert, 
and by following their lead, would sooner or 
later reach Silver Bow himself. Stepping out 
from the clump of Spanish bayonets which 
had formed his retreat, he set out on a dog- 
trot in the direction the men had taken, and 
after a long, rough, weary journey, actually 
found himself trailing up the familiar path to 
the Eagles’ Nest. 

He paused as he reached the children’s play 
house and took a furtive survey of the place. 
One lone light burned in the low cottage. 
Probably Tabitha had missed him and was 
waiting for his return. Supposing she should 
lick him again for running away? 

“ Billiard! ” 

’Twas only a whisper from a rock nearby, 
but the boy almost screamed aloud in his fright 
at the unexpectedness of it. 

“Sh!” the voice continued. “It’s only 


TABITHA’S VACATION 155 


I, — Glory. I had to go to the drug-store for 
some alum, — Janie has the croup, — and I saw 
you coming up the trail. Tabitha hasn’t 
missed you yet. She has been so anxious over 
the baby. So sneak back to your room and 
I’ll bring you something to eat as soon as I 
can. Run now! Tabitha will be expecting 
me.” 

“But Glory, doesn’t anyone know I — ” 
began bewildered Billiard, much taken back 
at his reception. 

“ Ran away? ” finished Gloriana. “No one 
but Toady and myself. He won’t tell. I 
made him promise. Of course we’d have had 
to, if you hadn’t come back, but I knew — I 
thought you would — ” How could she tell 
him that she knew he was too much of a 
coward to persist in running away? “ Scram- 
ble into your room as quietly as possible,” she 
continued, “so as not to disturb the others, 
and I will bring you some supper in a minute 
or so.” 

“ You’re — you’re awfully good to a feller,” 
mumbled the abashed boy, wondering how he 
ever could have disliked the red-haired Glory. 
“ I — I’ll not forget it.” And as the girl hur- 


156 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


ried up the path to the kitchen door, he 
skirted the house till he reached the window 
of his room, through which he wriggled cau- 
tiously and disappeared in the friendly dark- 
ness within, thankful that he was home again. 


CHAPTER IX 


BILLIARD SURRENDERS 

Toady kept his promise not to mention 
Billiard’s runaway expedition to anyone else 
save Gloriana ; but being human, he could not 
keep from twitting his brother occasionally, 
and the days which followed that memorable 
night were full of misery for the unhappy boy. 
His cousins avoided him, Tabitha ignored him. 
Toady tormented him, and even Gloriana 
seemed indifferent to his plight. In his fright 
at discovering himself lost on the desert at 
night, he had resolved to follow Toady’s ex- 
ample and turn over a new leaf. He could not 
quite make up his mind to confess his sins to 
eagle-eyed Tabitha, but was really sincere in 
his desire to do better; and was as surprised 
as he was disappointed to find that no one 
paid any attention to the sudden change in his 
deportment. 

“ Might as well have kept on being bad,” he 
157 


158 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


growled with an injured air one afternoon 
when a fortnight had passed without any 
noticeable change in the atmosphere. “ Wish 
I hadn’t come back that night. Guess they’d 
have sung a different tune then! Maybe a 
coyote would have got me, or I’d have stepped 
into a rattlesnake’s nest and been stung to 
death. Bet they’d have felt sorry when they 
found me — he hesitated. His picture was 
too vivid, and he shuddered as he thought what 
a fate would have been his had a rattlesnake 
bitten him as he tramped across the pathless 
waste in his flight. “ Pretty near dead,” he 
finished finally, unable to endure the thought 
that they might have found him dead. 

“ If I had kept on, I’d be in Los Angeles 
now, — maybe in the navy already. I’ve a good 
notion to try again. I could almost go by 
train, now that my ’lowance has come. Mercy 
says it takes twelve dollars, and I’ve got ten. 
’T any rate, I could ride as far as that would 
take me, and — by George, I b’lieve I could 
beat my way without spending a cent ! That’s 
the way tramps travel from city to city.” 

He winced at the idea of being classed with 
tramps, and fell to debating whether he would 


TABITHA’S VACATION 159 


buy a ticket and ride like a gentleman as far as 
his ten dollars would carry him, or whether he 
would attempt the hobo’s hazardous method of 
transportation. Before he had arrived at any 
satisfactory conclusion, he heard the tramp of 
feet close by, and the lively chatter of voices, 
and around the bend of the path came Toady 
with his six cousins. They did not see him at 
first, half hidden as he was by the heap of 
ragged rocks on which he lay stretched full 
length, but even when they did become aware 
of his presence, they merely glanced indif- 
ferently at the lazy figure and passed by with- 
out speaking. 

Angered at thus being ignored and left out 
in the cold. Billiard resolved to display no 
interest in them, either, although he was con- 
sumed with curiosity as to where they were 
bound; but a chance remark of Susie’s about 
being lowered in a bucket overcame his re- 
solve, and he called after them, “ Where you 
going, kids? ” 

“ Don’t you wish you knew? ” Inez flung 
back with a saucy toss of her head. 

“ Up Pike’s Peak,” said Toady, without so 
much as looking hack. 


160 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


“ You mean down Ali Baba’s cave,” sug- 
gested Mercedes laughingly. 

“ Shall we tell him? ” asked Irene, relenting 
as she glanced back at the lonely figure on the 
rocks. 

“ He’ll just be bad if we let him come,” 
warned Susie. 

“ He hasn’t been bad for a long time,” 
gentle Irene reminded them. 

“ Aw, what do you s’pose I care where you 
are going? ” sung out Billiard, more hurt by 
their manner than he cared to acknowledge. 
“ Keep on to Jericho, if you want to.” 

“We ain’t going to Jericho,” said Irene, 
lagging uncertainly behind the others. “ Only 
just across town to that hill over there where 
is a — a ’bandoned mine. Toady’s never seen 
what one looks like, so we’re taking him along 
to get a peek at it. Have you ever seen a 
mine? ” 

Billiard shook his head. 

“ Tabitha says if we’re real good, she’ll see 
if the superintendent won’t take us all through 
the Silver Legion mine before the summer is 
over; but to-day we’re just going to show 
Toady how the miners go up and down the 


TABITHA’S VACATION 161 


shaft. He won’t b’lieve they use a bucket. 
Don’t you want to come too? ” 

“ Nope, guess not,” Billiard answered 
promptly, though the wistful look in his eyes 
belied his words. 

“ It’s int ’resting,” urged Irene, who some- 
how seemed to understand that Billiard did 
not really mean what he said. 

Is it a real bucket? ” he could not refrain 
from asking. 

“ Yes.” 

“ Like a water bucket? ” 

“Yes, only bigger.” 

“ I sh’d think the miners would fall out.” 

“ Oh, it’s big enough so they can’t tumble if 
they mind the rules; but you’ve got to keep 
your head down inside, or you’ll be killed by 
the big beans — ” she meant beams — “ which 
are built in to hold the dirt from caving in and 
filling up the mine. Come and see for your- 
self.” 

“ Well, p’r’aps I will.” With a great show 
of indifference, the boy uncoiled his legs, slid 
to the ground beside Irene, and hurried with 
her after the others, now a considerable dis- 
tance in advance; but the little group had 


162 TABITHA’S VACATION 


reached their goal and were gingerly peering 
into the black depths of the abandoned shaft 
when Billiard and Irene joined them. 

“ Ugh! ” shuddered Mercedes, drawing 
back with a shiver from the yawning mouth of 
the hole. “ It smells like lizards. I’ll bet the 
bottom of the shaft is full of them.” 

“ It didn’t use to be,” remarked Susie, 
dropping a pebble over the brink and listening 
to the hollow echoes it awoke as it bounded 
from timber to timber. 

“ Were you ever down there? ” asked 
Toady in surprise. 

“ No, but papa was one of the men here 
when the mine was working.” 

“ What did it quit working for? ” ventured 
Billiard, testing the weather-stained rope still 
coiled about the winch above the shaft. 

“ The vein of rich silver stopped all of a 
sudden and they couldn’t make the other ore 
pay, so they shut down, and the men went to 
work in other mines, or else moved away.” 

“How deep is a shaft?” asked Toady, as 
Susie sent another pebble spinning after the 
first and counted rapidly until it struck the 
bottom. 


TABITHA’S VACATION 163 


“ Some are hundreds of feet deep,” replied 
Mercedes impressively, glad of a chance to air 
her meagre knowledge of mining affairs. 
“ But this ” 

“Is only a hole,” finished Inez con- 
temptuously. 

“ What do you mean by that? ” demanded 
Billiard, mystified. “ Ain’t this a sure-enough 
shaft? ” 

“ Oh, yes,” Mercedes hastened to inform 
him; “only ’tisn’t the main one. That’s all 
boarded up, and no one can go down it any 
more. This was dug later. Someone thought 
there was more silver here, and they made this 
shaft. It’s not very deep ” 

“Let’s go down it!” proposed Billiard, 
boyishly eager for such an adventure. 

“ Oh, horrors! ” shrieked Mercedes. “ With 
all those lizards do’svn there?” 

“ Shucks! Lizards won’t hurt a fellow.” 

“ Maybe there are snakes, too,” said 
Rosslyn, hastily backing away from the 
place. 

“ We’d have heard them,” Billiard answered 
promptly. “ Susie has fired enough rocks at 
’em to stir ’em up if there was any there.” 


164 TABITHA’S VACATION 


“ But Tabitha mightn’t like it,” suggested 
Irene in troubled tones. 

“ Did she ever say you couldn't go? ” 

“ N-o.” 

“ Or did your mother? ” 

“ N-o.” 

“ Then what’s to hinder? ” 

“ S ’posing the rope should bu’st,” mused 
Irene aloud. 

That rope? Why, it’s half as big as my 
arm! Yes, bigger.” 

“ But it has been here a long, long time. 
Ever since I can remember. Doesn’t rope 
rot?” 

“ I’ll bet that’s as strong as iron,” boasted 
Billiard. ‘‘ There’s nothing rotten about it. 
I’ll stump any of you to go down with me.” 

“ Will you go first and see if there are any 
snakes? ” demanded Susie, whose love of 
adventure was constantly leading her into 
mischief. 

“ If you’ll promise honor bright to come 
next.” 

“ I will,” Susie rashly promised, her eyes 
dancing with excitement and eagerness. 
“Will you go, too. Toady? ” 


TABITHA’S VACATION 165 


“ Sure, but who’s going to let us down? 
I’ll bet it takes some work to keep the rope 
unwinding just right.” 

“ I’ll lower you all,” proposed Mercedes 
magnanimously, for the idea of descending 
into that black, musty hole did not appeal to 
her in the least, but she could not bear to 
appear less brave than fly-away Susie. 

“You! Pooh! You are just a girl! The 
bucket would get away from you the first 
thing, and then where’d the rest of us be? No, 
I’ve got a better plan than that. You and 
Toady and Irene let Susie and Inez and me 
down first; and after we have had a look at 
the thing, we’ll come up and let you down. 
How does that suit you? ” 

“ It’s a go,” Toady readily responded. 

“ All right,” quavered Mercedes. 

But Irene held her peace. Nothing could 
tempt her to crouch in that great, swaying 
bucket and be dropped into the blackness of 
that yawning pit, but she did not mean to 
voice her opinions until the proper moment. 
So she took her place beside Mercedes and 
Toady and puffed and panted as the rope 
slowly unwound, and Billiard, scrooched low 


166 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


in the bucket, disappeared from view. It was 
hard work and slow, to pay out the rope 
evenly, but Billiard did not seem at all inclined 
to be critical, and accepted his rough, jolting 
descent without a murmur. Had the truth 
been known, the boy was too nearly paralyzed 
with fright to notice anything of his surround- 
ings, and more than once he was on the point 
of signalling for his companions to hoist him 
to the surface again, but fear of ridicule kept 
him tongue-tied until it was too late. 

With a final jerk and jolt, the bucket stood 
still, and cautiously opening his eyes for the 
first time since he had stepped into his queer 
elevator. Billiard beheld a row of black, 
shadowy heads hovering over the brink of the 
aperture, and heard Toady’s voice, sounding 
strangely muffled and far away, call cheer- 
fully, “Well, you’ve struck bottom, old boy! 
What does it look like? ” 

Bottom? Billiard blinked and rubbed his 
eyes, and peered about him in surprise ; but at 
first in the semi-darkness, he could distinguish 
nothing. Then as he grew more accustomed 
to the blackness, he could see before him the 
mouth of a still blacker cavern, which to his 


TABITHA’S VACATION 167 


vivid imagination seemed yawning to swallow 
him up ; and he shudderingly shrank back into 
the friendly protection of the bucket. 

“ Why don’t you answer? ” demanded an 
impatient voice from above. 

Are there snakes and lizards?” called 
Mercedes. 

Snakes! Lizards! Billiard had forgotten 
them, but with a sigh of relief he realized that 
there was not a sound of anything stirring 
about him. “Naw!” he yelled back, trying 
to make his voice sound brave and scornful. 
“ Guess not. I can’t see a thing. Might as 
well haul me up, ’cause no one could tell what 
a mine looks like in this blackness.” 

“ Got any matches?” inquired Toady. 

Billiard rapidly felt through his pockets. 
“ One,” he announced. 

“ Then here’s a candle. Catch it! ” 

Toady let it drop almost before the words 
were out of his mouth, and with a tremendous 
thump it struck poor Billiard on the head 
before he had caught the significance of the 
directions from above; and with a yelp of sur- 
prise and pain, he tumbled out of the bucket 
against a timber, which shivered and splintered 


168 TABITHA’S VACATION 


under his weight. But in some mysterious 
manner, he found himself in possession of the 
candle when he had righted himself once more 
and brushed the rotten wood from his eyes and 
mouth. He lost no time in striking his one 
lone match and lighting the slender taper in 
his hand, much to the relief of the group 
hovering anxiously about the shaft. 

“There!” he heard Susie ejaculate. “I 
was sure he had killed himself.” 

“ You mean that Toady did,” spluttered the 
indignant Billiard. “ What do you think my 
head is made of — iron? ” 

“ I couldn’t tell that it would hit you on the 
the head, could I?” protested the younger 
boy apologetically. “ Why didn’t you 
dodge? ” 

“Dodge? D’ye think I’m a cat with eyes 
that see in the dark? ” 

“ Never mind,” soothed Irene, who had 
ventured near enough the curbing to take an 
occasional peep down into the blackness. 
“ It’s too bad it hurt you. Put some cold 

water on the bump ” 

A derisive shout from her sisters stopped 
her, and even Billiard had to smile, though he 


TABITHA’S VACATION 169 


felt grateful toward the little twin who was 
sorry he was hurt. By this time the pale 
candle flame had ceased to sputter and flicker 
uncertainly, but burned with a steady light, 
and with a thrill of exultation Billiard looked 
curiously about him, relieved to And no snakes 
or crawly things in the abandoned shaft, and 
pleased beyond measure to think he had 
actually braved the terrors of the dark to ex- 
plore this mysterious place, so he could crow 
over his brother and cousins because of his 
courage. 

“ Say, but it’s great down here,” he called, 
venturing just inside the timbered cross-cut 
and staring at the rocky walls which here and 
there glistened alluringly. “ And there’s pecks 
of silver sticking out of every stone. Why 
don’t you come on down. Toady? ” 

“ Can’t till you come up. It’s Susie and 
Inez now. Going, girls?” 

“You bet!” cried Susie enthusiastically. 
“ Pull up the bucket and help me in.” 

Eagerly they turned the creaking old wind- 
lass and Susie descended to join Billiard in 
his underground explorations. Being much 
lighter than her cousin, it was easier to lower 


170 TABITHA’S VACATION 


her down the shaft; and still easier with Inez 
in the bucket; but once the trio were safely at 
the bottom, the little group above became all 
impatience for their turn. Mercy’s courage 
had returned as she saw how simple an opera- 
tion it was to let down the loaded bucket, and 
even Irene began to feel a desire to explore 
the mysteries of the abandoned mine with the 
rest of her mates. Only Rosslyn and Janie 
hung back, but no one cared. In fact, it 
simplified matters not to have to bother with 
such little tads; but it was a nuisance to have 
Billiard linger so long when he knew the 
others were just dying to go down. 

At last Toady could resist temptation no 
longer. “I’m going, too,” he announced with 
determination. 

“Before Billiard comes up?” 

He nodded grimly. 

“ But s’posing you’re too heavy for just 
Irene and me,” suggested Mercedes. 

“ I shall slide down the rope. I’d rather do 
that than have you drop me or let the rope 
out too fast.” 

“ But — how can you? ” Mercedes demurred. 

“ It’s so far down there,” said Irene. 


TABITHA’S VACATION 171 


“ Aw, in gym work at school we slide down 
poles and bars and all sorts of things. It 
oughtn’t to be any harder with a rope. I’m 
going to try, anyway.” 

Silently but enviously, the girls watched 
him spit on his palms, test the rope, and finally 
let himself slowly down into the shaft, with 
legs wrapped tightly about his slender, sway- 
ing support, and hands grasping the rough 
strands with a desperate grip, for, too late, he 
realized what a horrible fate would be his if he 
should fall; but when he would have gone back, 
he could not. 

“ How in the world will we ever get them 
up?” whispered Irene wonder ingly; but be- 
fore Mercedes could frame a reply, there was 
a crash from below, a cry, a grating sound of 
falling rock and then hideous, horrible silence. 

“Toady!” shrieked the girls in frenzy, 
“ did you fall? ” 

“ No,” came back a muffled answer. “ I’m 
all right, but we have knocked down some 
boards and can’t get out.” 

“ Can’t get out! ” they repeated dully. 

“No. Run for help! Our candle has gone 
out and it’s as black as pitch in here.” 


172 TABITHA’S VACATION 


“ Who’ll I go for? ” wailed panic-stricken 
Mercedes, while Irene danced frantically 
around the shaft and wrung her hands as she 
chanted, “ They’ll smother, they’ll smother, 
they’ll smother! ” 

“ Anyone, but hustle up ! ” yelled Toady im- 
patiently, for his companions in the disaster 
had uttered not a sound since their first wild 
scream, and a horrible fear that they were 
hurt or even killed gripped his heart. 

However, little Rosslyn was already half- 
way down the mountain, fairly skimming over 
the rocks and rubbish, and almost before the 
distracted girls had recovered their senses 
enough to be of any aid to the prisoners, the 
little fellow stumbled across the threshold of 
the Eagles’ Nest, gasping, “ They’ve caved in 
— Bill and Toady and the girls. I guess 
maybe they’re dead by now! ” 

Tabitha was on her feet in an instant and 
the pan of potatoes which she was peeling 
went spinning across the floor. “ Where, 
Rosslyn? ” 

Mutely he pointed, too spent for words; 
and the girl, remembering the old, unpro- 
tected shaft of the abandoned Selfridge mine. 


TABITHA’S VACATION 173 


flew to the rescue of her brood, pausing only 
to snatch a lantern from a peg on the wall, 
and a handful of matches from the pantry 
shelf. 

Mercedes had disappeared when she reached 
the spot of the accident, but Irene was tug- 
ging desperately at the huge windlass, slowly 
winding up the heavy bucket, moaning all the 
while in a distracted undertone, while tears of 
fright trickled down her dirty face. So busy 
was she that she never heard the patter of 
Tabitha’s feet behind her, and the first intima- 
tion she had of help at hand was when the 
older girl jerked her back from the mouth of 
the shaft, released the half -raised bucket, and 
sent it hurtling back into the pit once more. 

“ Go for the assayer,” she commanded 
hoarsely, seizing the heavy rope with both 
hands, and preparing to descend as Toady had 
done. “ Run, hurry ! And then get Dr. 
Hayes. We may need him.” 

The windlass creaked and groaned, the rope 
swayed and strained, as Tabitha slid out of 
sight, while Irene raced madly away to do her 
bidding. Unmindful of bumps or bruises, and 
almost unaware that her hands were cruelly 


174 TABITHA’S VACATION 


burned and torn from her too rapid descent, 
the black-eyed girl had scarcely touched the 
bottom of the shaft before she had her lantern 
lighted and was digging like mad at the fallen 
rock and debris which almost completely 
blocked the entrance of the narrow cross-cut. 

“ Who is it? ” called a voice from behind the 
barrier. 

“ Thank God! ’’ breathed Tabitha, working 
with renewed fury. “ That you, Toady? ” 

“ Bet you! ” came the cheering response. 

“ Are you hurt? ” 

“ Nope!” 

“ Where are the others? ” 

“ Here!” 

“Safe?” 

“ I — don’t know. I can feel ’em, but they 
don’t answer.” 

At that instant, without any warning, one of 
the fallen timbers slipped from its position, 
and revealed a narrow aperture into the cross- 
cut, through which Tabitha caught a ghmpse 
of Toady’s white face and the gleam of Susie’s 
scarlet dress. 

“ Can you crawl through? ” she demanded. 

“ Yes.” 


TABITHA’S VACATION 175 


“ Carefully now, so as not to start another 
landslide. There! Now, can you help me 
make the opening bigger?” 

But other aid was at hand. The assayer 
with three men from the town had arrived and 
the rescue of the quintette at the bottom of 
the shaft was speedily effected. 

“ Are they — ” Tabitha’s voice faltered as 
she stood at last on the rocky mountainside 
and looked down into the still, white faces of 
Billiard, Susie and Inez. How could she ever 
have let them out of her sight? How could 
she ever break the news to the mother ? 

“ Merely stunned,” replied the doctor, ex- 
amining the victims with rapid, practised 
fingers. “ See, the girls are coming to their 
senses. It’s nothing short of a miracle that — 
Hello, Susie, what did you say? ” 

“ It wasn’t gold at all,” murmured the child 
faintly; “just quartz, but he wouldn’t b’lieve 
it.” 

Billiard opened his eyes slowly. “ She says 
gold don’t look like gold in a mine, but I got 
a pocketful of — ” His sentence ended in a 
groan of pain, and the hand he was trying to 
thrust into his trousers fell limply at his side. 


176 TABITHA’S VACATION 


“ Aha! ” cried the doctor. “ Let’s see what 
we have here.” 

“ A break? ” questioned the assay er. 

“Bad sprain, I think, but it will keep the 
young man out of mischief for one while. Are 
your legs all right? Then I reckon we better 
move on to town.” 

So it happened that no serious results came 
from their latest prank, but Tabitha, in her 
thankfulness that all her brood was safe and 
sound, fell into a fit of bitter weeping as soon 
as the children were back in the Eagles’ Nest 
once more and the rescuers had departed. 

“ Don’t,” begged Janie tearfully. “ I loves 
’oo! I was dood! ” 

“ Please don’t,” pleaded the other sisters in 
great distress. “ We’ll never do it again.” 

“ It was all my fault,” cried Toady con- 
tritely. “I’m ever so sorry.” 

“ It was not,” muttered Billiard, wincing 
with the pain in his arm, but truly repentant. 
“ I dared ’em to go. Honest, Tabby, I was to 
blame! Will you: — will you — er — forgive me? 
I’m horribly — sorry. Won’t you try me 
again ? ” 

So sincere was his tone, so straightforward 


TABITHA’S VACATION ITT 


his confession, so manly his bearing, that 
Tabitha could not fail to be convinced of his 
earnestness of purpose, and drying her eyes, 
she took Billiard’s proffered hand in a hearty 
grasp, saying with quivering, smiling lips, 
“Tret’s all try each other again.” 

“Let’s!” cried the rest of the brood; and 
they meant it, every one. 



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CHAPTER X 


SUSANNE ENTERTAINS A CALLER 

“ Let^s make some caady. It’s too hot to 
play.” 

Susie and the twins were sitting idly on a 
great, shaggy, redwood log in the scanty 
shade of the house, fanning themselves as 
briskly as their tired arms would move, and 
longing for the cool of sundown. 

Irene looked startled at the older sister’s 
suggestion, and began, “ Tabitha ” 

“ Oh, I know she made us promise not to 
get into mischief,” Susie impatiently inter- 
rupted her, “ but taffy ain’t mischief. We’ll 
make a big batch so’s there will be plenty for 
the others when they get back.” 

“ It’s so hot,” objected Inez, as Susie turned 
to her for approval. 

“ We’ll use the gasolene stove.” 

“But you’ve never lighted it. How’ll 


you- 


179 


180 TABITHA’S VACATION 


“ Oh, Irene, you make me tired ! Don’t you 
s’pose I know how? Haven’t I watched 
mamma and Tabitha hundreds of times? 
Guess I can manage it if Mercy can. Come 
on, Inez ! ” 

“ Do you know how to make taffy? ” ques- 
tioned the undaunted Irene, following the 
other two into the sweltering kitchen. 

“ Course ! Molasses and sugar and vinegar 
and butter. Ask me something hard.” 

“ Tabitha measures ’em.” 

“ So shall I. You go fetch the m’lasses jug 
and a cup. Inez, bring the vinegar and butter, 
and I’ll measure things after I get the stove 
a-going.” Mopping her face and bustling 
energetically about the small room, Susie 
marshalled her forces and set to work with con- 
tagious enthusiasm. All three donned huge 
aprons, hunted up long-handled spoons, and 
rattled among the neat array of pots and pans 
until it sounded as if a whole regiment had 
been turned loose in the kitchen. 

The stove was lighted without any trouble, 
much to the relief of the breathless trio, and 
the candy making was soon in progress. 
Sugar was measured and molasses spilled with 


TABITHA’S VACATION 181 


reckless abandon over table, floor and stove, 
in their hurry to get their delectable sweet on 
cooking before the rest of the family should 
return from their day’s outing and interfere, 
for, secretly, each be-aproned girl, paddling in 
the pot with her sticky spoon and dribbling 
syrup wherever she ran, felt that she was not 
strictly obeying Tabitha’s parting injunction, 
and was anxious to have a peace offering ready 
when she returned with the rest of her brood. 

They had gone for a drive to the river, and 
as there was not room in the light wagon for 
all the large family, Susie and the twins had 
been bribed to remain at home with the promise 
of ice-cream sodas at the little drug-store. 
However, that unusual treat had disappeared 
long ago down the three eager throats, and 
they had begun to rue their bargain when 
Susie’s inspiration fired them with enthusiasm 
once more. 

“ I wish we had some nuts,” panted perspir- 
ing Inez, stirring the bubbling mess in the 
kettle so vigorously that a great spatter flew 
up and struck Irene on the hand. 

“ Ooo ! ” screeched the unfortunate victim. 
“ What made you do that? ” 


182 TABITHA’S VACATION 


“ I didn’t do it a-purpose,” indignantly 
denied her twin. “ Stop your jumping and 
suck it off.” 

Irene obediently thrust the smarting wound 
into her mouth, and immediately let out an- 
other howl of anguish, for the sticky mass had 
burned the little tongue sadly, and the tears 
rained down the rosy cheeks unchecked while 
the dismayed sisters racked their brains for 
some soothing remedy to deaden the pain. 

“ Try this,” suggested Susie, hurrying out 
of the pantry with a can of baking powder in 
her hand, vaguely recalling that some kind of 
white powder used in cooking was good for 
burns. 

“ I will not,” sobbed Irene angrily. “ You 
don’t know what it will do. You’re just guess- 
ing.” 

“ Gloriana put coal oil on Toady’s foot,” 
timidly began Inez, half distracted at having 
been the cause of all her sister’s woe. 

“ And you think I’ll stick my tongue in 
that? ” roared the usually gentle twin so 
savagely that both her companions fell silent, 
perplexed at the unhappy situation. 

Meanwhile the bubbling syrup had been for- 


TABITHA’S VACATION 183 


gotten, and with an ominous hiss and a pungent 
odor, the seething mass boiled over the top of 
the kettle and was promptly hcked up by the 
eager flames of the stove. A great cloud of 
smoke filled the kitchen, and the paralyzed 
girls awoke to their danger with a sickening 
horror. 

‘‘Oh, oh, oh!” they screamed in frenzy. 
“ The house will catch! We’ll all be burned 
up! What will mamma say? ” 

“ Hush! Shut up! Give me your apron! ” 
commanded an authoritative voice behind 
them, and a big, shabby stranger rushed past 
them, snatched Susie’s apron, gave a deft 
twist to the flaming burner, seized the smok- 
ing kettle, and vanished through the kitchen 
door before any of the sisters realized what had 
happened. He was soon back with the 
blackened pot in his hands and a reassuring 
smile on his lips. “ It’s all right, kids,” he 
announced cheerily, noting the terror in their 
faces. “No harm’s done. It won’t take but 
a few minutes to clean up that stove and pan 
and no one will be the wiser. You are house- 
keeping by yourselves to-day, I see.” His 
quick, restless, eager eyes had noted the tell- 


184 TABITHA’S VACATION 


tale signs of mischief about him before he 
hazarded that remark. 

“Yes, oh, yes!” breathed Susie in great 
relief. “ Tabitha’s taken the rest of the chil- 
dren down to the river, and we're all alone.” 

“ The river? ” 

“ The Colorado. We often go there when 
we can get the assayer’s horses, but the wagon 
won’t hold us all, so we three stayed at home 
to-day.” 

“And had ice-cream sodas for being good,” 
added Irene. 

“We wanted to make some taffy,” mourned 
Inez, ruefully eyeing the blackened mass which 
the mysterious stranger was deftly removing 
from the stove and floor. 

“ ’Twas so lonesome here by ourselves,” 
supplemented Susie apologetically, remem- 
bering that she was responsible for the candy 
suggestion. 

“ So ‘ while the cat’s away the mice will 
play ’, ” chuckled the man, beginning a vigor- 
ous scraping of the sticky kettle. 

“ Why, how did you know her name was 
Catt?” cried Irene in amazement. 

“ Goosie! ” exclaimed Susie sarcastically. 


TABITHA’S VACATION 185 


“ He didn’t know. That’s not what he meant. 
But truly, mister, I don’t think Tabitha would 
have minded a bit if our candy had come out 
all right. As ’tis, we’ve wasted such a lot of 
m’lasses and sugar that I reckon she’ll 
scold ” 

“ If she ever finds it out,” broke in Inez. 

“ That’s it — if she ever finds it out,” 
chuckled the man again. “ Who is this 
mysterious Tabitha that you are so scared 
of?” 

“We ain’t scared of her,” protested Susie 
loyally. “ Her name is Tabitha Catt, and 
she’s taking care of us while mamma is with 
papa at the hospital in Los Angeles. She’s 
only a girl herself, but we promised to mind 
her so mamma could go, and not fret about us 
all the time, and we’re trying hard to keep our 
promise.” 

“ But sometimes we forget,” said truthful 
Irene. “We oughtn’t to have made that 
candy, ’cause we told her we wouldn’t get into 
mischief while she was gone. I guess that’s 
why it burnt up.” 

“ I guess it’s no such thing! ” Inez con- 
tradicted hotly. “You made such a fuss over 


186 TABITHA’S VACATION 


nothing that Susie and me forgot to watch it 
and it boiled over.” 

“ I guess you’d have made a fuss if I’d 
blistered your hand like you did mine,” cried 
Irene in great indignation, suddenly remem- 
bering her grievance, and affectionately re- 
garding the white blister on her plump hand. 
“ Then on top of that you told me to suck it 
off, when you knew it was boiling hot and 
would skin my whole mouth.” 

“Tut, tut!” interrupted the stranger, see- 
ing that a quarrel was imminent. “ Now 
don’t get mad all at once. I’ve a proposition 
to make to you ” 

“ A what? ” asked Susie, glad she had taken 
no part in the flare-up between the twins. 

“ A bargain. I’ll make you a mess of candy 
that’ll pop your eyes out if you will give me a 
square meal, — something to eat, you know, 
and plenty of it. I’m hungry as the 
deuce, and candy ain’t very filling. Is it a 
go?” 

Susie looked at her crestfallen companions, 
and they looked at her. 

“ There were no potatoes left from dinner,” 
began Irene. 


TABITHA’S VACATION 187 


“ But there’s any number of cans of stuff 
in the pantry,” said Inez hastily. 

“ Salmon and sardines and veal loaf and 
corned beef and vegetables,” added Susie hope- 
fully, yet fearful lest the menu should not 
prove sufficiently tempting to the queer, unex- 
pected, unknown visitor. “ And Tabitha cut 
the .cake for dinner.” 

“ Besides cookies and crackers and bread,” 
murmured Irene, seeing reproof in her sisters’ 
eyes, and feeling that she had been inhospitable 
to their hungry guest. 

“ Good! ” promptly answered the man. ‘‘ I 
reckon we’ll make out. Just open a tin of 
salmon, make a pot of strong coffee, and 
bring on your bread and cake and sauce — 
lots of it, now, for I haven’t had a bite to 
eat since last night. Lost my money, you 
know, and it hurts a decent fellow’s pride to 
beg.” 

The trio nodded sympathetically, and hur- 
ried to do his bidding, while he rapidly meas- 
ured out fresh supplies of sugar and syrup, 
and briskly began stirring the mass over the 
fire, talking all the while. “ I just happened 
to be passing when I smelled your stuff burn- 


188 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


ing, and thinks I, now there’s trouble in there. 
Just then you all commenced screaming, and 
I was sure the house was a-fire, so I rushed 
in to help. Good gracious, but I was scared 
for a minute when I see the flames jumping so 
high. You might have had an explosion any 
minute.” 

“ Yes,” gravely agreed the girls, the look of 
terror returning to their eyes. 

“ If it hadn’t been for you, I reckon the 
house would have burned down, and it’s the 
only one we’ve got,” said Irene. 

He nodded. “ I understand, and so I 
thought you wouldn’t begrudge me a bite to 
eat, after I had put out the fire and cleaned 
up the clutter so Tabitha wouldn’t know that 
you had been in mischief.” 

“ Course we’re glad to give you some- 
thing to eat,” Inez again hastily interrupted. 
“ ’Specially when you are making us some 
more candy. Are you ready for your — lunch 
— now? ” 

“ In a jiffy. Just grease a pan for this dope 
and I’ll pour it out to cool. Bet it beats yours 
all hollow. There! Set it in the window — so! 
Now, I’ll sample your larder. Looks fine and 


TABITHA’S VACATION 189 

smells bully. Which store is best here in 
town? ” 

“ Brinkley’s,” promptly answered the trio, 
with longing eyes fixed upon the golden flood 
of syrup cooling in the window. 

“ Though Dawley’s is bigger,” added Irene. 

“ Do they make much money? ” 

“ They ought to. Prices are high enough,” 
answered Susie with a comically grown-up air. 

“ Most of the miners trade at Dawley’s, 
’cause he don’t hurry ’em so about paying,” 
said Inez naively. “ But the Carsons and 
Catts and Dr. Hayes, and those folks buy at 
Brinkley’s, ’cause his stuff is nicer.” 

“We did trade there,” began Irene, but 
Susie interrupted, “ Most of our stuff comes 
from Los Angeles now. “ It’s cheaper to trade 
that way, and anyhow, papa knows the man 
real well, and now that he’s sick in the hospital, 
he doesn’t have to worry about pay day all 
the time, for this man will wait till he is well 
enough to work again.” 

“ When is pay day? ” casually inquired the 
man. “ I mean how often does it come?” 

“ Once a month — the fifteenth.” 

The stranger’s eyes glittered with satisfac- 


190 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


tion, and he muttered, “ The fifteenth, — that’ll 
to-morrow.” 

“ What did you say? ” asked Susie. 

“ I was just thinking,” he replied, glancing 
uneasily from one bright face to the other to 
see if any of the children had caught his indis- 
creet remark. “ By the way, who lives in that 
little, unpainted house on the edge of town? ” 
He pointed vaguely over his shoulder, and the 
sisters looked at each other in bewilderment. 

“ The pest house? ” suggested Irene. 

“The Ramsey place?” said Inez ques- 
tioningly. 

“The haunted house?” ventured Susie. 
“ You see, there are so many unpainted houses 
on the edge of town.” 

“ The haunted house! ” laughed the stranger 
incredulously. “ Whoever heard tell of a 
haunted house in a mining camp ! ” 

“ Silver Bow has one,” stoutly asserted the 
twins. 

“Where? Which one? I confess I am 
curious.” 

“ It’s the last one on the East End Lode,” 
replied Susie with dignity, feeling that the 
reputation of her town was at stake. 


TABITHA’S VACATION 191 


“ The queer old shack beyond Tabitha’s,” 
added Inez. 

“ There are only three houses in that 
hollow/’ explained Irene. “ The Carson’s big 
house, the Catt’s littler one, and this haunted 
house.” 

‘‘ What haunts it? ” jeered the man, push- 
ing back from the table and glancing sharply 
down the trail toward town. 

‘‘ A — a ghost,” the twins half whispered. 

“ A man killed himself there once,” said 
Susie. 

“ Or was murdered,” shuddered Inez. 

‘‘ Or else he just died,” put in practical- 
minded Irene. “ Anyway, they found him 
there dead.” ^ 

And sometimes now folks hear queer 
things there.” 

“ And see lights.” 

‘‘ Tabitha never has,” Irene declared. 
“ And she lives nearest it.” 

“ Well, ’t any rate, it’s haunted and no one 
ever goes there now, not even Tabitha, who 
ain’t afraid of a thing'" 

The stranger rose slowly to his feet, yawned 
as if bored by their chatter, picked up his hat. 


192 TABITHA’S VACATION 


and started for the door ; then paused, and 
casually surveying the pan of taffy on the 
window sill, remarked, “ Believe if I was you, 
I’d eat that all up before the rest of the folks 
get back. There’s just about enough for three, 
and I’ve a notion that Miss Tabitha will think 
you didn’t keep your promise very well if she 
ever finds out how near you came to setting 
the house a-fire. She’ll never dare trust you 
again. It might be well not to mention that 
I dropped in, either. Tramps aren’t often 
welcome visitors, even in a mining camp, you 
know. But I appreciate your dinner, and 
thank you kindly. Good-day, ladies.” 

“ Good-day,” they echoed mechanically, and 
with puzzled eyes watched him disappear in 
the direction of the railroad station on the flats. 
Then they faced each other. 

“ Do you s’pose we better — ” began Susie 
slowly. 

“ Not tell? ” ventured Inez. 

“ And eat all the candy ourselves? ” added 
Irene. 

There was a moment’s pause while three 
active brains worked furiously. 

Then Susie sighed, “ I b’lieve he’s right. 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


193 


Tabitha would never trust us again. We 
better keep still about the whole thing.” 

“ Then we’ll have to hurry and clear up this 
mess,” said Irene. “We can hide the candy 
until later, but this table would give every- 
thing away.” 

So the trio flew to work again, put away 
the remains of the tramp’s dinner, washed the 
telltale dishes, and had the kitchen in its usual 
spick and span order when the rest of the large 
family returned an hour later from their 
sojourn to the river. If their consciences 
pricked them a little for their deception, they 
said nothing, not even to each other; and it 
was several days before the young housekeeper 
discovered their secret. 


■ ' ' / 

■>. iJr 


V HAPTER XI 


IN THE CANYON 

The next day was Saturday, and the 
morning dawned so hot and sultry that almost 
before the old kitchen clock struck five, the 
restless eaglets were stirring once more. 

“ Now’s the time I wish we didn’t live so far 
up the mountain,” sighed Mercedes, mopping 
her perspiring face on her sleeve as she 
struggled to button the dress she had just 
donned. 

‘‘ Yes, summer’s an awful trial here in this 
house,” agreed Susie, trying to decide whether 
to put on her shoes and stockings and suffer 
from the heat in that manner, or to go bare- 
footed and burn her tender soles on the hot 
sands. 

“ Le’s do down to the river to-day,” lisped 
Janie, lifting eager eyes to scan the dark face 
bending over, as Tabitha patiently brushed the 
tangled curls into smooth ringlets. 

195 


196 TABITHA’S VACATION 


‘‘ Oh, let’s! ” seconded the twins. 

“ You know we had to stay at home yester- 
day when the rest of you went,” wheedled 
Inez. 

“ And ’twould have been awful lone- 
some,” began Irene, “ if it hadn’t been for 
that ” 

“ Ice-cream,” hastily interposed Susie, giv- 
ing the little blunderbus a warning glance. 
“ Can’t we go, Tabitha? It would be so much 
cooler there.” 

“ I don’t see how we can manage it,” 
answered the flushed housekeeper, glancing 
longingly out of the window down the yellow 
ribbon of a road which wound its way in and 
out among the rocks and yuccas on its way to 
the muddy Colorado, seven miles away. “ The 
assayer will be wanting his horses to-day and 
it’s too far to walk.” 

“ Can’t we hire a team from the stables? ” 
proposed Inez. 

“ And pay ten dollars a day for it? ” scoffed 
Mercedes. “ Where are you going to get your 
money to foot the bill? ” 

“ Then let’s catch enough burros to lug us 
all,” suggested the resourceful Susie. “ No 


TABITHA’S VACATION 197 


one would care. They run loose on the desert 
all the time.’’ 

Tabitha shook her head slowly, although her 
eyes gleamed appreciatively at the plan. If 
only Rosslyn and Janie were older! How she 
would enjoy such a frolic as Susie’s sugges- 
tion would mean. 

Only Gloriana remained discreetly silent. 
She shuddered whenever she recalled her first 
and only ride on one of the wicked little 
beasts, — that wild New Years Even when she 
and Tabitha had tried to keep Mr. McKit- 
trick’s claims from being jumped, — and she 
drew an audible sigh of relief at Tabitha’s 
decision. But the next instant her heart sank 
within her, for with a scurry of feet in the 
narrow hallway, the door of the room was 
unceremoniously flung open, and two eager, 
boyish faces peered in. 

“ I say. Tab,” began Billiard, so excited he 
could hardly refrain from shouting his news, 
“ your Uncle Decker is out here ” 

“ And he’s brung a whole — flock — of 
burros,” broke in Toady, so anxious to tell 
part of the good news that he could not stop 
for choice of words. 


198 


TABITHA S VACATION 


“ Saddled,” Billiard hurried on, trying to 
beat Toady to the climax. 

“ For us! ” cried the smaller boy. 

“ To ride to the canyon on! ” bellowed the 
two as with one voice. 

“ Really? ” gasped Tabitha. 

“ How perfectly scrumptious ! ” squealed 
the tribe of McKittrick. 

“ But Janie and Rosslyn,” faltered Gloriana 
faintly. “ Aren’t they too small ” 

“ Oh, he’s got a buckboard, too,” grinned 
Billiard, who had recently discovered the red- 
haired maid’s poor little secret; but forbore to 
make unkind remarks about it because he him- 
self stood somewhat in awe of the sleepy-eyed 
demons of the desert, since one had unex- 
pectedly kicked him when he was trying to 
mount. “ He drove in for some provisions, 
and your father told him to bring us all back 
with him, and we’re to camp at the mines 
until Monday. Won’t that be great? 
Whoop-ee ! ” He leaped into the air, cracked 
his heels together and came down with a re- 
sounding thump which shook the whole house 
and made the dishes in the pantry rattle. 

But no word of reproof was uttered, for 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


199 


Tabitha had seized the half -dressed, half- 
combed Janie in her arms, and rushed from 
the room. It seemed impossible that anyone 
could have come up that narrow, rocky trail to 
the Eagles’ Nest with a half dozen or more 
burros and a buckboard without her having 
heard them, but there they were lined up by the 
kitchen steps, — seven sleepy-eyed, wicked little 
burros, saddled and bridled, and a pair of 
small, wiry mustangs hitched to a light wagon, 
and driven by Decker Simmons, Mr. Catt’s 
partner. 

“Why, Uncle Decker!” Tabitha begau. 

“ Didn’t we tell you he was here? ” exulted 
the two boys who had followed her. 

“ But — but — ” she stammered. 

“ But she didn’t b’lieve us,” crowed Toady. 

“ I thought you must be mistaken,” she con- 
fessed, “for I could not imagine anyone so 
crazy as to want ten children under foot at a 
mine. Whatever possessed Dad, Uncle 
Decker? ” 

The man laughed good-naturedly. 
“ Thought we all needed a vacation, I reckon,” 
he answered. “ Are you anywhere near ready? 
Better hurry. Sun will soon be unmercifully 


200 TABITHA’S VACATION 


hot, and the canyon isn’t exactly within walk- 
ing distance. Can’t I help? ” 

“ No, thanks. It won’t take us long ” 

“ We’re ready now,” announced the proces- 
sion of girls crowded around her. 

“ Mercy finished Janie’s hair while you stood 
here gabbing. Glory packed up what duds we’d 
need, and Billiard’s got the house all locked 
up. Who’s to take which burro? ” 

“ Makes no difference,” answered the man, 
chuckling at the despatch with which prepara- 
tions for the outing were made. “ Put the lit- 
tle tikes in here with me, and any of the rest 
of you who perfer the buckboard can pile in. 
That red — the girl with the game hip — you 
better ride with us, too.” 

This suited Gloriana perfectly, and she lost 
no time in making herself comfortable among 
the leather cushions with Rosslyn and J^nie 
beside her; but the rest of the party declined 
that method of transportation, and mounted 
the animals standing patiently in the scant 
shade of the porch. In less time than it takes 
to tell, the hilarious procession was on its way 
to the canyon, and the baking town was left 
behind. 


TABITHA’S VACATION 201 


“ Let’s race,” cried Billiard, who was 
mounted on an innocent-looking, lazy beast. 

“ Come on! ” cried Susie, giving her animal 
a prod with a sharp stick she had snatched 
from the woodpile as they clattered out of the 
yard; and away they flew, shouting and flap- 
ping reins, urging the stolid little burros out of 
their poky gait into a surprised run. 

But the race came to an abrupt and unex- 
pected end. Susie’s mount seemed more am- 
bitious than its mates, or else the youthful rider 
goaded it to desperation; for, with a mighty 
spurt, it took the lead, and shot three lengths 
ahead of the rest, cantering off across the desert 
as if racing were its daily delight. Rosy- 
cheeked Susie glanced back over her shoulder, 
waved the sharp stick triumphantly in the air, 
and jeered, “ Yah, yah! Why don’t you come 
along? Has you burro gone to sleep? ” 

This was too much for Billiard, and grab- 
bing a needle-pointed Spanish bayonet frond 
from the hands of his brother, he gave the 
brown-coated beast beneath him a vicious stab, 
as he yelled in disgust^ “ Giddap, you old 
demon! Wake up and stretch your legs a 
lit ” 


202 TABITHA’S VACATION 

Brownie awoke into surprising activity, 
leaped forward with unseating suddenness, 
planted his forefeet firmly among the rocks, 
and with one deliberate, energetic kick, sent 
Billiard flying through the air. The watchers 
behind held their breath in terror. Would 
the boy be killed for his folly? Then a wild 
shout of laughter rose from eight throats. 
But who could have resisted it? For the luck- 
less Billiard, after turning a summersault high 
in the air, fell astraddle the neck of Toady’s 
burro, and slipped to the ground in a sprawl- 
ing heap, while the second startled beast bolted 
across the desert with its plucky rider still 
clinging to its back. 

The dazed Billiard picked himself up from 
the ground considerably shaken but not hurt, 
and gazing ruefully first after his own fleeing 
burro, and then after Toady’s, now far in ad- 
vance of Susie’s little animal, remarked, 
“ Well, the old thing has got some ginger in 
him after all! Do you suppose I can ever 
catch him? ” 

“ I’ll help,” quickly volunteered Tabitha, 
trying hard to suppress her mirth, so meek 
and woebegone was the tumbled figure stand- 


TABITHA’S VACATION 203 


ing in the roadway; and with a nimble spring 
she landed beside him, tethering her burro to 
a yucca, growing close at hand. Mercedes 
and the twins followed her example, but it 
was a lively chase they had before the unruly 
animal was finally captured, and the party 
continued its journey, reaching their destina- 
tion without further mishap. 

Gloriana was disappointed at first, as she 
looked about her while her companions were 
dismounting, for she had expected to see a 
canyon like those lovely spots hidden among 
the San Bernardino hills; but this place was 
no different from the rocky, barren moun- 
tains surrounding Silver Bow. However, 
there was little time for lamentations, for with 
surprising ingenuity, Mr. Catt had arranged 
a delightful program for the two days the 
young folks were in camp, and not a moment 
of the brief holiday was dull even for Rosslyn 
and Janie. So it was with reluctant hearts 
that the party mounted their burros Monday 
morning for their return trip. 

‘‘ Where are the boys? ” inquired Mercedes 
curiously, as she sprang nimbly into her sad- 
dle and gathered up the reins ready to start. 


204 TABITHA’S VACATION 


“ Susie isn’t here, either,” said Tabitha, 
pausing in her task of packing to count noses. 
“ They must be in the tent. I saw them not 
very long ago. Dad, are the boys ready? ” 
“ Haven’t seen them,” he answered emer- 
ging from one of the tents with a light grip 
and dumping it into the back of the buck- 
board. 

“ I saw Billiard and Toady whispering 
something to Susie just as the wagon drove 
up,” tattled Inez, provoked to think she had 
not been included in the secret, “ and they all 
ran off that way.” She pointed up the moun- 
tainside, where the mesquite and cacti grew 
thickest, and huge boulders made climbing 
difficult. 

What in the world possessed them to go 
off like that? ” fretted Tabitha, impatient at 
the unexpected delay. 

“ Bet I know,” Irene piped up. “ They 
prob’ly went for a last look at the puppies.” 

“ Puppies ! ” cried the others in amazement. 
“ Where are there any puppies about here? ” 
“ Quite a piece up theije on the other side, — 
they weren’t going to tell the rest of us, but 
I happened to find them myself.” 


TABITHA’S VACATION 205 


“ Here they come now/’ Rosslyn excitedly 
interrupted ; and sure enough, the trio had ap- 
peared on the hillcrest, each tugging some- 
thing which squirmed and twisted, and snarled 
and yapped until their flushed, panting owners 
could scarcely hold them. 

“Holy snakes!” ejaculated Decker Sim- 
mons. 

Mr. Catt whistled. The rest of the party 
stared. 

“ What in creation have you got, Susie Mc- 
Kittrick?” demanded Mercedes, with all the 
severity her gentle nature could muster, as the 
three children came within speaking distance, 
Susie in advance. 

“ A pup,” gasped the red-faced girl, taking 
a fresh grip on the wriggling, sharp-nosed 
little animal, half hidden in the torn skirt of 
her dress. “ Isn’t he cute? See what bright 
eyes he’s got.” 

“ And see how you’ve snagged your 
clothes,” said Irene reprovingly. 

“ And scratched your face,” added Inez, 
glad now that she had not been a party in the 
expedition. 

“ That’s nothing to what Billiard’s did to 


206 TABITHA’S VACATION 


him,” Susie retorted sharply, nettled at her re- 
ception. ‘‘ He picked out the prettiest of the 
bunch for Tabitha. We told him how much 
you used to want a dog all your own, Kitty. 
But it’s the wildest thing I ever saw. Here he 
comes now. Billiard, didn’t you choose your 
pup for Tabitha? ” 

“Would you accept it?” he panted some- 
what shyly, embarrassed and a little provoked 
that Susie should have announced his inten- 
tions the first thing. “ I — I got the hand- 
somest fellow of them all, but I pretty near 
had to club it to death before it would come 
along peaceably.” 

“ But Billiard,” gasped Tabitha, finding 
her tongue at last, “ that isn’t a pup ! ” 

“What is it then?” Susie bristled so ag- 
gressively that she forgot to keep a tight hold 
on her unwilling prisoner, and with a final 
scratch and yap of exultation, it freed itself 
from her arms, and darted away among the 
sagebrush. 

“ A coyote.” 

“No!” Toady dropped his as if it were 
poison, and lifted startled eyes to Tabitha’s 
face. 


TABITHA’S VACATION 207 


“ You’re fooling! ” cried Susie in exaspera- 
tion over her loss. 

“ Dad, Uncle Decker, isn’t that a baby 
coyote? ” 

Both men nodded silently, a look of amuse- 
ment flickering about their lips. 

“ But — but — ” spluttered Billiard, still hug- 
ging his half -smothered treasure to his bosom. 
“ It — they look like pups.” 

“ Yes, they do, but you found them pretty 
frisky for pups, didn’t you? ” 

“ They were pretty lively,” admitted the 
older boy slowly. 

“ And as scratchy as — ” began Toady. 

‘‘ As cats'' finished Susie, angry at Tabitha 
for calling the animals coyotes, angry at her 
sisters for laughing, and angry at herself for 
not knowing the truth of the matter without 
being told. 

“ That’s so, too,” agreed Mr. Catt amiably. 
“ It beats me how you ever managed to catch 
them.” 

“ It was a job,” sighed Billiard regretfully, 
freeing the pretty little ball wrapped so snugly 
in his coat, and watching it skulk away after 


208 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


its two brothers. “We had some empty 
sacks ” 

“ But they weren’t much good,” Susie broke 
in contemptuously. “ If it hadn’t been for 
that can of meat we swiped, we’d never have 
caught ’em. They bite like everything, as 
well as scratch.” 

“ Yes,” said Billiard mournfully, taking the 
reins from Tabitha’s hands and mounting his 
burro, “ and we had all our pains for nothing.” 

“ Not quite,” whispered Tabitha sympa- 
thetically. “ I understand, and I’m glad you 
took such trouble for me. But hurry. It’s 
late already, and will be terribly hot before we 
reach home.” 

So the party said good-bye to the canyon 
and set out briskly on their long ride back to 
Silver Bow, but Tabitha was exultant, for 
Billiard, unruly, rebellious Billiard was at last 
completely won. 


CHAPTER XII 


THE BANK OF SILVER BOW IS ROBBED 

“ It must have rained here since we left,” 
observed Toady, as they drew near the town. 

“Why?” asked Irene curiously. 

“ ’Cause there’s a puddle of water in that 
hollow rock and unless it had rained, how 
would it get there? ” 

“ By Jove, the lad is right,” muttered 
Decker Simmons to himself. “ Queer we 
didn’t get any at the canyon, though. Won- 
der what’s the trouble ahead. Town seems 
excited. Do you suppose the new postmas- 
ter has embezzled his funds already? ” 

“ Uncle Decker,” Tabitha’s voice inter- 
rupted his meditations. 

“ Yes?” 

“ Something must have happened in town 
while we were gone.” 

“Why?” 


209 


210 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


“ Main street is full of people and the bank 
platform is black with them. Do you suppose 
there is another run on the bank, or can it have 
failed? ’’ 

“ Why, so ’tis! ” ejaculated the man, noting 
for the first time what Tabitha’s keen eyes had 
seen, — that the greater crowd of the people 
were gathered in front of the Silver Bow 
Bank. “ Wonder what’s up.” 

“ Hello, Simmons,” called Dawley, the gro- 
cer, from his position in the doorway of his 
store. “You don’t look as if you’d heard the 
news.” 

“ No. Let’s have it.” The whole party 
halted and waited curiously. 

“ Bank robbed.” 

“ You don’t say so! When? ” 

“ Saturday night.” 

“ Get much? ” 

“ Don’t know yet, but reckon ’twas only a 
few hundred. Brinkley lost a lot of provisions, 
too, but fortunately his safe was empty.” 

“ Well, I declare! Any clue? ” 

“ Not so far. Rain wiped out all tracks that 
might have been made. Had a corker of a 
thunderstorm that night.” 


TABITHA’S VACATION 211 


“Well, well! Now what do you think of 
that! What steps are you taking toward the 
capture of the thieves ? ” 

“ Posse out scouring the desert.” 

“ Humph! ” 

“ Well, what else can we do without clues? ” 
Find some clues. You’ll never catch the 
rascals by scouring the desert with a handful 
of men. They must have gone into camp close 
by, or thej^ would never have stocked up. Bet 
they are new at the business. Must be to make 
a mistake like that. I’d laugh if they had 
never left town.” And gathering up the reins, 
he drove on, followed by the cavalcade of 
burros. 

The children were greatly excited. Bur- 
glaries in that lonely little desert town were 
unheard of, and this novel experience fur- 
nished food for their lively imaginations to 
feed upon. Tabitha was particularly im- 
pressed, for never before in her short life had 
a robbery occurred so near home, and she 
could think of little else. A reward of two 
hundred dollars had been offered for the cap- 
ture of the thieves, and as soon as the little 
brood in the Eagles’ Nest heard of this, they 


212 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


began to amuse themselves by telling how 
they would spend the money if by chance they 
could win the reward. 

“ I’d buy me a pony,” said Toady, as they 
sat on the shady side of the house discussing 
the all-absorbing topic. “ Ma said she never 
should get us another after Spotty kicked her 
when she struck it with the whip.” 

“ I’d save it towards a motorcycle,” declared 
Billiard boastfully. “No ponies for minel 
With another hundred I could get a dandy 
machine, and then wouldn’t you see me spin- 
ning about the country just as I pleased! ” 

“ It would almost pay for another term at 
Ivy Hall,” sighed Mercedes, who, though she 
never mentioned the matter, knew that the 
family purse was too flat to permit of her 
returning to her beloved sohQol with the com- 
ing of September. 

“ I’d buy a little house in Los Angeles and 
go there to live,” said Irene. “ It must be 
pretty where there are real trees and flowers 
the year around.” 

“ It’s not your turn,” Susie objected. “ I’d 
buy — I’d buy — what would I buy? There are 
so many things I want, but I b’lieve I’d go 


TABITHA’S VACATION 213 


travelling. Two hundred dollars would take 
me quite a piece, and I’d see lots of big 
cities.” 

“ And I’d go along,” breathed Inez in ecs- 
tasy, ‘‘ and we’d beat our way back on freight 
cars.” 

“ Ho! That wouldn’t be any fun,” scoffed 
Rosslyn. “ I’d buy candy, ’n’ ice-cream, ’n’ 
peanuts, ’n’ popcorn.” 

“ And a doctor,” laughed Mercedes. 

There was a pause, and seven pair of eyes 
turned expectantly toward Gloriana, who, per- 
ceiving the look, said shyly, “ There are prob- 
ably heaps of things I’d like to get for myself 
now and then, but I think the most of my two 
hundred would go to Granny Conover for tak- 
ing care of me all those years. I’d like to see 
her have plenty of money to do as she pleased 
with before she dies.” 

“Wouldn’t that be splendid?” cried the 
children, who were never tired of hearing the 
pitiful tale of Gloriana’s life. 

“ Now, Tabitha,” suggested Billiard. 
“ Why, where is Tabitha? ” 

“ Gone to put Janie to bed, I guess,” said 
Toady, seeing that the youngest member of 


214 TABITHA’S VACATION 


the family was also missing. “ It’s her nap 
time.” 

But in reality, Tabitha was far down the 
mountainside, speeding like a deer in pursuit 
of a tiny, white-clad figure toddling in and out 
among the sagebrush and greasewood toward 
a forbidden playground, where, half -hidden 
by rocks and rubbish, were several unprotected 
prospect holes, mysterious and alluring to the 
investigative baby eyes. Even as Tabitha 
came within calling distance of the child, Janie 
discovered that she was being pursued, and 
quickened her steps into a run, heedless of the 
path she was taking, until with a shrill cry of 
fright, she slipped over the brink of one of the 
very holes she had stolen away to visit, and dis- 
appeared from sight. 

“ O, God, don’t let her be killed! ” prayed 
the black-eyed girl, and her feet fairly flew 
over the uneven ground, till she, too, reached 
the edge of the deep excavation. But before 
she could discover the plight of the runaway, 
she felt the ground give way beneath her feet, 
and echoing Janie’s cry of alarm, she, too, shot 
out of sight. Fortunately, however, little sand 
fell with her, and as by a miracle, she landed 


TABITHA’S VACATION 215 


free and clear of the frightened, sobbing, but 
unhurt figure crouching in the opposite corner. 

Scrambling to her feet, she seized the scared 
baby in her arms, exclaiming over and over 
again, “ Janie, Janie, are you sure you aren’t 
killed?” till at length she had soothed the 
child’s fright and had coaxed her into laughing 
again. “ Now, Miss Mischief,” she cried, set- 
ting the baby down and beginning to investi- 
gate their prison, “ we must find some way 
out of this place. ’Tisn’t very deep, to be sure, 
but the sides seem pretty crumbly, so I don’t 
dare to climb out. I reckon we’ll have to shout. 
Help, help, help ! ” 

They screamed themselves hoarse, but no 
one came to answer their call, and Janie be- 
gan to wail dismally, for the minutes seemed 
like hours to her, and she was tired and cross. 
“ Never mind, honey,” Tabitha comforted. 
“ If they don’t find us around the house by 
supper time, they will know something has 
gone wrong and send General to find us. Now 
let’s amuse ourselves for a while, and then 
we’ll shout again. Here is a stick. See if you 
can dig a deeper hole than I can. Why, what’s 


216 TABITHA’S VACATION 


Stooping over to pick up a fragment of red- 
wood bark at her feet, she uncovered a small 
bag, which rattled as she touched it ; and as she 
untied the drawstring, a shower of glittering 
gold pieces fell into her lap. 

“^Pennies! ” cried Janie, making a dive for 
a share of the shining coins. 

“ Yes, dear, gold pennies, but Janie musn’t 
touch,” answered Tabitha, busily sorting the 
money into various piles according to its de- 
nomination. “ It doesn’t belong to us, and we 
must take it to the — Say, Janie McKittrick, 
what will you bet this isn’t the money stolen 
from the bank Saturdaj^ night? Mr. Dawley 
said they got only a few hundred. Let’s count 
it. One, two, three, four, five hundred dollars. 
Janie, that’s just what we’ve found! The rob- 
bers didn’t dare take it with them, and so hid 
it here, thinking it would be absolutely safe.” 

“Well, Tabitha Catt! Of all things! 
Look, girls, she’s as calm and cool as if she had 
gone on a picnic, instead of tumbling into a 
prospect hole.” 

So intent had the two prisoners become in 
their find that neither had heard the sound of 
approaching footsteps, and as breathless 


TABITHA’S VACATION 217 


Susie’s voice rang out above their heads, both 
started guiltily. 

“ Why, how did you know where to look 
for us?” cried Tabitha, bouncing to her feet, 
and slipping the bag out of sight, lest the 
children see and ask questions. 

“ Well, when we couldn’t find you about the 
house anywhere, Glory remembered that Janie 
had slipped off down the trail while we were 
talking, and so we decided that you must have 
chased her. Then Mercy happened to think 
of these holes. Janie is always possessed to 
play down here, and has run away three times 
before ; so we came down to look, and here you 
are in the very first one,” explained Susie. 

“You hauled us out of the abandoned mine 
one day, and now we are going to fish you out 
of a prospect hole,” exulted Billiard, much 
relieved to find the two girls unhurt, but un- 
able to resist crowing a little over their 
mishap. 

“ How? ” asked Tabitha, a frown of anxiety 
gathering in her forehead. “ Don’t get too 
near the edge there, or some of you may join 
us in our retreat. You must go for help. You 
can’t get us out all alone.” 


218 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


“ Mercy has gone for the assay er,” began 
Inez. 

“ And here he is now,” Billiard interrupted. 
“ He has got a long board and a rope. Stand 
back, Irene, so you won’t be in the way. 
There, now. Tabby, tie up the baby, and we’ll 
lift her out first.” 

In a surprisingly short time, both girls were 
hoisted from the sultry pit and landed laugh- 
ing gaily among their mates. 

“ Well,” said the assayer, shaking his gray 
head in a puzzled fashion, “ I don’t under- 
stand how you kids work the stunt.” 

“ What stunt? ” they all inquired. 

“ Why, tumbling into every hole you come 
across and not getting hurt. You arent hurt, 
are you? ” 

“ No, indeed! ” 

“ And Kitty finded a whole sack full of gold 
pennies down there, but her won’t div Janie 
any,” volunteered the baby quite unexpect- 
edly. 

“ She — what? ” 

“ Gold pennies I ” 

‘‘ What does she mean? ” 

The children lifted questioning eyes to 


TABITHA’S VACATION 219 


Tabitha’s crimson face, and even the assayer 
looked down at her curiously. She had not 
meant to let the children know about the 
money; at least, not until she had consulted 
older and wiser heads than theirs; but now 
that Janie had betrayed her secret, she dis- 
played her find, and explained how it had 
come into her possession. 

The assayer’s eyes grew thoughtful, as he 
examined each coin minutely, and counted the 
treasvu’e, to make sure that Tabitha’s figures 
were right. “ What shall you do with it? ” he 
finally asked, as he dropped the last piece into 
the sack and returned it to Tabitha. 

“ Take it to the bank. I thought it might 
be part of the money the robbers got.” 

He glanced at her quickly, keenly; then an- 
swered, “ That’s the thing to do, all right, and 
I don’t believe your surmise is far off, either. 
But see here, children, don’t you dare lisp a 
word to a single soul about this money until 
we know for certain whose it is.” 

“ We won’t,” hastily promised the wonder- 
ing, round-eyed fiock, for they stood much in 
awe of the silent, almost tacitmn man who 
worked wonders with the rock which the 


220 TABITHA’S VACATION 


miners brought him; and the little company 
set out for home, leaving Tabitha and the as- 
sayer to carry the precious find over to the 
bank. 

“ Do you know,’’ said Gloriana, as the black- 
eyed girl finished relating the afternoon’s hap- 
penings to her, “ I half believe that man snoop- 
ing around the pesthouse is the robber.” 

“What man?” demanded the startled 
Tabitha. 

“ Well, I don’t know who he is, but it is 
someone I’ve never seen here in town. He was 
there this morning, but I didn’t think much 
about it then. We were so excited over the 
robbery. But this afternoon while the assay er 
was dragging you out of the prospect hole, 
and I was watching through your field glasses, 
I happened to turn them in the direction of the 
pesthouse, and there he was again, humped up 
on the doorsill, watching through glasses of 
his own. When you started off toward town, 
he hustled into the house and shut the door. 
Now, it seems to me no one would stay in a 
pesthouse unless he was hiding from some- 
one.” 


No one ever had smallpox there.” 


TABITHA’S VACATION 221 


“ Then why does everyone avoid it so? ” 

“ I don’t know. The name, I reckon. It 
was built for a pesthouse, but the doctors de- 
cided the patient didn’t have smallpox after 
all, so the building has never been used.” 

“ Then perhaps he knows there is nothing 
to be afraid of in the house.” 

“ That may be, of course. Is he there yet? ” 
“ Yes, I think he is. I’ve kept a close look- 
out ever since I discovered him, and I haven’t 
seen him leave.” 

Tabitha seemed lost in thought a moment, 
then turned an eager face toward her compan- 
ion. “ Gloriana, the reward! ” 

“ Could we? ” 

“ Can’t tell till we try ! ” 

“ But how ” 

“ There are only two small windows in the 
house, — funny, isn’t it, when air is so necessary 
in case of sickness, — he can’t get out of them. 
So all we have to do is guard the door.” 

“But how shall we get him to the — police? ” 
“ Sheriff? I hadn’t thought of that part. 
We couldn’t tie him up and march him to 
jail, — we aren’t strong enough, just us girls. 
We’ll have to make sure he is there, lock him 


222 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


in, and then while one of us guards the door, 
the other must go for help.” 

Gloriana shuddered. She hoped it would 
not fall to her lot to guard the door, and yet 
she could not bear to think of Tabitha’s stay- 
ing there alone with only a flimsy structure be- 
tween her and a desperate character. 

“ I — we — had we better try it alone? ” she 
asked timidly. “ Wouldn’t it be wiser to tell 
the assayer and get him to help? ” 

“ The more people there are connected with 
his capture, the smaller our share of the reward 
will be. We can do it all right.” 

Tabitha’s daring swept away her objections. 
“ That’s so,” she answered. “ Well, we better 
not wait any longer then, or perhaps he will 
get away yet.” 

“ I’m ready,” Tabitha replied promptly, 
and with quaking hearts but determined steps 
the two set out, armed with a stout stick and 
the rusty old pistol which Gloriana had used 
the night the boys had played burglar. 

“ What is that broom handle for? ” ques- 
tioned the red-haired girl, wondering if she 
would be expected to crack the desperado over 
the head with it. 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


223 


“ To lock the door with.*’ 

Lock the door? '' Could Tabitha have 
gone suddenly crazy? 

“ Yes. It’s the only way we can fasten him 
in. The door has an iron handle on the out- 
side, instead of a knob, you see.” 

“ Oh!” 

“ Is that the man? ” The door of the pest- 
house had opened abruptly and a short, portly 
man roughly dressed, unshaved and florid of 
complexion, appeared on the threshold a mo- 
ment, eyed the approaching girls indifferently, 
glanced searchingly toward town, and again 
vanished within, closing the door behind him. 
Gloriana’s heart seemed to stop beating, then 
pounded so loudly that it sounded to her like 
the pulsing of the engines in the Silver Legion 
Mine. “ Yes,” she gasped. 

“Then we’ve got him!” Scared but ex- 
ultant, Tabitha leaped to the door, thrust her 
stick through the handle, and cocked her re- 
volver, just as the man, hearing the noise out- 
side, grasped the knob and tried to open the 
door. 

“ What the deuce ! ” they heard him exclaim, 
and then he wrenched again. “ Who’s out 


224 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


there, and what do you want? ” he bellowed in 
rage, when the door refused to budge. 

“ You’re our prisoner,” Tabitha answered 
boldly, though trembling like a leaf with nerv- 
ous dread; “ and you might just as well keep 
quiet as to make a fuss. Glory, hurry for the 
sheriff, the assayer — anyone ! He’s des- 
perate ! ” 

And indeed he sounded desperate as he 
kicked and banged the door, shouted and 
swore, tearing about his small prison like a 
madman, and breathing threats of vengeance 
against his jailer, who stood pale but un- 
daunted in front of the door, with a cocked 
revolver clinched tightly in both hands, wait- 
ing anxiously for the return of Gloriana with 
help from town, and thanking her lucky stars 
that neither of the small windows was on the 
door side of the house. 

Then suddenly the tumult ceased within, 
and terrified Tabitha began to take courage 
again. “ He has decided to behave himself at 
last,” she thought. “ It’s the only sensible 
thing to do, for he can’t get away from 
here now without being caught. There 
comes Glory at last, but oh, gracious! look 



you’re our prisoner,” tabitha answered boldly, 





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TABITHA’S VACATION 225 

at the crowd following her. Half the town is 
out.” 

J ust then a subdued grunt from around the 
corner of the house caught her attention, and 
beckoning wildly to the approaching throng, 
she crept cautiously forward to investigate, 
but paused again, paralyzed at the sight which 
met her eyes. The portly prisoner had at- 
tempted to escape by means of one of the 
small windows, and now hung suspended by 
the middle over the sill, his hands clawing the 
air helplessly inside, and his heels waving fran- 
tically without. At another time, Tabitha 
would have shouted with laughter at the ri- 
diculous figure he cut, but now her only 
thought was to prevent his escaping, and fling- 
ing aside her pistol, she plunged toward the 
body seesawing through the air, and clutched 
the feet with a determined grip, while the 
helpless victim protested in emphatic lan- 
guage. 

Thus the crowd found them and went wild 
with delight at the spectacle, much to the dis- 
comfiture of both captor and captive, and 
when at length the florid prisoner was freed 
from his uncomfortable position, his face was 


22G TABITHA’S VACATION 


purple with rage and exertion. ‘‘ What is 
the meaning of this outrage? ” he exploded as 
soon as he could find sufficient breath to voice 
his indignation. “ Who put you up to such a 
trick as that, you young minx? Do you know 
who I am? ” 

“Why, Jerry Weller!” exclaimed an as- 
tonished voice from the interested throng of 
onlookers. “ What are you doing here? ” 

“ I bought this old shack and was to have 
had it moved onto my claims to-day, if the 
movers had showed up,” exclaimed the irate 
man, his voice thick with anger. “ But along 
come these jades and fasten me in ” 

“We thought he was the bank robber,” 
Tabitha murmured faintly, sick at heart over 
the mistake. “ He was acting so — so sus- 
piciously.” 

“Bank robber!” echoed the speaker from 
the crowd. “ Why, Jeremiah Weller is owner 
of the biggest placer mines in the coimtry. 
He made a fortune in Alaska. He’s a mil- 
lionaire! Bank robber! Ha — ha! That’s 
rich ! ’ 

The crowd roared appreciatively, but the 
victim of the mistake quite unexpectedly lost 


TABITHA’S VACATION 227 


his glowering look, and gruffly declared, 
“ Well, you needn’t laugh at her. She’s pluck 
to the backbone. ^ Show me another girl who 
would have undertook to corral a bank robber 
as she did. I don’t wonder she thought that 
was my occupation. I certainly look rough 
enough — ” Suddenly his roving eyes fell 
vfpon the timid, shrinking Gloriana, so de- 
pressed at the way matters had turned out 
that she could scarcely keep back the scalding 
tears. If it had not been for her, Tabitha 
would never have gone on such a wild-goose 
chase. Why hadn’t she kept her suspicions 
to herself? 

“ What’s your name? ” demanded the 
stranger so abruptly that he seemed positively 
rude. 

Gloriana Holliday,” she managed to ar- 
ticulate. 

“ Did you ever have an Uncle Jerry? ” 

“ If I did, he never came near us that I can 
remember,” she candidly replied. 

The purple of his face deepened. “ That s 
right, too,” he muttered. “ But your mother 
ran away to get married.” 

“ And her folks told her never to let them 


228 TABITHA’S VACATION 

see her face again,” supplemented Gloriana 
bitterly. 

“ Was her name Weller at one time? But 
of course it was. There couldn’t be two peo- 
ple on earth look as much alike as she and you 
unless they were mother and daughter ; and be- 
sides, she married a Holliday, — Jack Holli- 
day.” 

Gloriana nodded. 

“ Then, my girl, I’m your Uncle Jerry, and 
if you didn’t catch your bank robber, you 
made a pretty good haul anyway. Your 
mother — she — she’s — dead, isn’t she? And 

your father? You’re an orphan ” 

She’s not any longer! ” Tabitha broke in 
savagely. “ We’ve adopted her and she’s my 
sister.” 

“Oh! Well, that simplifies matters, too, 
for I’m a bachelor and have no home to offer, 
but — Say, I want to talk with you. Where’s 
your adopted father? Not in town now? 
Well, isn’t there some place we can go where 
we won’t be gawked at by all these hoodlums? 
Bring your black-haired sister, — my jailer. 
I certainly do admire pluck.” 

At this broad hint, the curious crowd re- 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


229 


luctantly withdrew, and left the trio alone at 
the pesthouse threshold. Standing there 
bare-headed with the waning sunlight glint- 
ing through the heavy, red locks, Gloriana 
told what she could remember of the pitiful 
struggle of her parents, their deaths, and her 
unhappy lot until the scholarship at Ivy Hall 
had opened the way to better things. 

So affected was the bluff stranger by the 
sad tale that he made no effort Xo check the 
tears which filled his eyes and rolled down his 
cheeks. “ Well, the past is passed,” he said 
when the story was done, “ and we can’t do 
anything now to change it. I’ve been down- 
right sorry at the way we treated your mother, 
but she effaced herself pretty well. We never 
got a trace of her whereabouts, though years 
afterwards we heard that she was dead. We 
never knew there was a child, but never 
mind, you shall not want again as long as 
I live. Being a rover and unmarried, I have 
no home to offer, as I said before; so I am 
glad to find you settled with such good 
friends. But I’ve got all kinds of money, and 
insist upon paying for your education from 
now on. Here’s a check for pin money.” 


230 TABITHA’S VACATION 


Drawing a check-book from his pocket, he 
rapidly scribbled a few lines, tore out the slip 
and handed it to Gloriana. Mechanically she 
took it, and her gray eyes grew round with 
wonder as she read. “ One hundred dollars! 
Oh, you must have made a mistake, Mr. ” 

“ Uncle Jerry,” he corrected her. 

“ Uncle Jerry,” she dutifully repeated. 

“Not a bit of it! And what’s more, there 
will be one of those ready for you every 
quarter.” 

“Oh, that’s too much!” she protested. 
“ Whatever would a girl do with four hundred 
dollars a year spending money? ” The sum 
appalled her, and well it might, for never be- 
fore had she possessed more than five dollars 
at one time. 

He laughed at her dismay. “ Why, I often 
spend that much in a day. You can lay in a 
stock of jimcracks like the other girls have. 
You’ll find plenty of ways to dispose of every 
cent, I know.” 

“ Maybe,” she half whispered. “ You see, 
I never had so much as a dollar all my own 
that I can remember until I came to live with 
Tabitha, but perhaps when I get used to know- 


TABITHA’S VACATION 231 


ing it’s really mine and —genuine, I’ll find 
ways to spend it. I — I thank you. It’s nice 
to have an Uncle Jerry.” 

“ It’s nice to have a Niece Gloriana, too,” 
he answered gruffly, clearing his throat with 
much gusto ; and as there seemed to be nothing 
further to say, the trio turned from the lonely 
pesthouse, and silently climbed the hill toward 
town. 



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CHAPTER XIII 


THE ROBBERS AND THE HAUNTED HOUSE 

“ Billiard^ did you ever see a ghost? ” 

It was almost a week since the bank rob- 
bery had occurred, and still no clue as to the 
identity of the robbers had been found, al- 
though posses were still searching the country, 
determined to catch them if such a thing were 
possible. But the excitement of the event had 
already died down in the youthful minds of 
Silver Bow, and other topics of conversation 
absorbed their attention. 

“ Naw,” answered Billiard contemptuously, 
without looking up from the stick he was whit- 
tling. “ What’s eating you. Toady? There 
ain’t any ghosts, and you know it.” 

“ What about that haunted house in the 
east end of town? ” 

“ ’Tain’t haunted.” 

“ Susie says it is.” 


233 


234 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


“ And Tabitha has lived alone near it for 
six or seven years and she has never seen any- 
thing stirring there.’’ 

“ But ghosts walk only at midnight. She’s 
never been there at night.” 

‘‘ Aw, you softy ” 

“ Susie says the Gates boy declares he saw 
a ghost in the graveyard one night.” 

“ Well, that’s different. I don’t blame a 
ghost for walking there.” 

‘‘ Why, Billiard McKittrick, what do you 
mean? ” 

“ Did you ever see a lonesomer place on 
earth than the Silver Bow graveyard?” de- 
manded Billiard. “ Why, it’s the worst look- 
ing cemetery in the country, I believe, — just 
heaps of rocks and wooden sticks to show 
where folks are buried. Tabitha says they 
blast out the graves with dynamite, six at a 
time, and fill them up with people as fast as 
they die. Would you rest easy if you were 
planted in that style? Wouldn’t your ghost 
want to get out and walk? ” 

" Billiard McKittrick! ” Toady looked 
positively shocked. Then after a moment, as 
the older boy made no reply, the younger one 


TABITHA’S VACATION 235 


continued thoughtfully, “ Maybe that’s what 
is the matter with the ghost in the haunted 
house.” 

“ Oh, pshaw. Toady, I tell you there ain’t 
such a thing as a ghost! ” 

“ I’ll stump you to go down to the haunted 
house some time and find out.” 

“ All right, come along! ” 

“ Not during daylight. It must be after 
dark. Midnight is the best time, Susie says.” 

“ Bother Susie ! Why don’t you get her to 
go with you? ” 

“ You are afraid to go! ” jeered Toady. 

“ Am not! ” retorted Billiard angrily. 

“ Then why don’t you take my dare? ” 

“ It’s all tommy-rot,” insisted Billiard, with 
a fine show of scorn. 

“ ’Fraid cat! ” 

“ Oh, I’ll take you up,” cried the other, 
stung into recklessness by Toady’s taunts. 
“ We’ll go to-night.” 

“ To-night? ” stammered Toady, much 
abashed at his brother’s sudden acceptance of 
the dare. 

“Yes, to-night!” 

“ What’s your hurry? ” 


236 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


“ Who’s the ’fraid cat now? ” taunted Bil- 
liard. 

“Not me! To-night’s the time. We’ll set 
the alarm-clock for half -past ten.” 

“ Suppose it wakes the rest of the bunch? ” 

“ They’ll think it’s a mistake, and in a few 
minutes will be asleep again, and we can steal 
outside without their hearing us at all.” 

So it was decided, and though each boy, 
deep down in his heart, hoped that the other 
would back out before the hour set, both re- 
solved not to show the white feather, and as 
the alarm-clock pealed forth its summons in 
the silence of the night, two sleepy lads crept 
stealthily out of bed, drew on their clothes, 
and without exchanging a word, started for 
the haunted house at the other end of town. 

Never, it seemed to the quaking boys, had 
the desert night seemed so black. The stars 
were shining, to be sure, but the very heavens 
seemed further away, and the silence was ap- 
palling. Nervous, excited, dreading the or- 
deal, each boy waited for the other to propose 
that they give up their wild-goose chase; but 
neither was willing to acknowledge his cow- 
ardice first, so they stumbled fearfully on. 


TABITHA’S VACATION 237 


clutching each other’s hands to keep from 
falling, they told themselves, but really to feel 
the nearness of another human being. 

At length, however, they reached the old, 
abandoned shack, where they were to keep 
their ghostly vigil, and with bated breath they 
opened the sagging door and crept trembling 
over the threshold into the black shadows of 
the interior. Fear held them tongue-tied, and 
they crouched upon the dusty floor as close to 
the door as they could get. The silence was 
intense, terrifying. 

Then the stillness was sharply broken by a 
hoarse whisper, “ What was that. Bill? ” 

Billiard, thinking Toady had spoken to him, 
was about to reply when a second voice an- 
swered, “Only the wind, I reckon. Shut up.” 

“ But it sounded like someone opened the 
door.” 

“ You’re as bad as an old woman with the 
fldgets,” said the second voice crossly. “ Go 
to sleep, can’t you? At least, let me sleep. I 
tell you we’re safe enough. The fools will 
never think of looking for us here. This is a 
haunted house and no one ever comes here. 
When they get tired of scouring the desert and 


238 TABITHA’S VACATION 


give up hunting for us, we’ll light out, but 
until then we’ve got to lie low; and we might 
as well spend our time snoozing as to be wor- 
rying all the while.” 

“ The bank robbers! ” thought each boy to 
himself. What should they do? It would be 
impossible for two small boys to capture such 
desperadoes in the dead of night, especially as 
neither lad was armed, they argued. Their 
only course was to steal noiselessly away, rouse 
the sheriff, bring back a posse and surprise 
the men in hiding. 

With one impulse, the terrified boys clasped 
hands, slipped cautiously out of the house, 
hardly daring to breathe for fear of being 
heard, and raced off along the road toward 
the sleeping town with all the speed they could 
muster. Once they fancied they heard a voice 
call to them, but this only increased their head- 
long flight. Their feet seemed fairly to skim 
over the ground, and when they reached the 
main street of the town they were breathless, 
exhausted and frightened almost past speak- 
ing. 

“Where — does — the sheriff — live?” panted 
Billiard, as they tore down the last steep slope. 


TABITHA’S VACATION 239 


“ Dunno,” gasped Toady. 

“ Then how’ll we find him? ” 

“ Drug-store.” 

“ It’s shut.” 

“ Ring the night bell.” 

And ring they did, sending peal after peal 
echoing through the silent building until the 
sleepy proprietor, dishevelled and wrathy, 
stumbled through the doorway, and demanded 
fiercely, “ What the deuce is wanted? ” 

“ The robbers — ” half sobbed the boys. 

“ Well, they ain’t here,” snarled the angry 
druggist, not catching the meaning of their 
words. “ Now you hike for home and the 
next time you want to play a practical 
joke ” 

“Oh, this isn’t a joke!” cried Toady im- 
ploringly. “ We’ve found the sure ’nough 
robbers, but ” 

“We aren’t big enough to capture them,” 
finished Billiard. 

“ Aw, come off! ” said the man, beginning to 
see from the boys’ demeanor that something 
was really wrong. “You are having a bad 
dream. How do you happen to be wandering 
around town this time of night? ” 


240 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


“We dared each other to visit the haunted 
house to see if there was a really ghost, like 
Susie said.’’ 

“ And you found one, did you? ” the drug- 
gist laughed sarcastically. 

“ Oh, this ain’t a ghost. It’s burglars, truly! 
They talked and we heard what they said,” 
cried Toady with convincing earnestness. 

“ And what did they say? ” persisted the 
druggist, though in a different tone of voice. 

Briefly they recounted their adventure in 
the vacant house, and as the man listened he 
took down the telephone, said a few words 
which the boys could not hear, and hung up the 
receiver again. Almost immediately there was 
a sound of footsteps without, and an armed 
citizen of Silver Bow appeared in the door- 
way, then another, and another, until a score 
or more had gathered just outside the build- 
ing. There was a hasty consultation one with 
another, then the boys were bidden to repeat 
the story they had told the druggist, and after 
the men had heard the meagre details, the 
posse separated, vanishing one by one in the 
blackness. But instinctively the boys knew 
that they would attempt to surround the 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


241 


haunted house, and taking its occupants by 
surprise, would compel them to surrender. 

They wanted to remain at the drug-store 
until the capture was effected, but the keeper 
ordered them home to bed, and they reluc- 
tantly obeyed, listening every step of the way 
for the sound of shots. But nothing occurred 
to mar the stillness of the night, and they won- 
dered if the desperadoes had after all escaped. 
So anxious were they, and so nervous over 
their unusual experience that it seemed as if 
sleep would never come to close their eyes, as 
they lay once more in their bed at the Eagles’ 
Nest; and they were astonished to find 
themselves waking up the next morning 
at the sound of someone knocking at their 
door. 

“ Who is it? ” called Billiard, vaguely won- 
dering if he could have dreamed all that had 
transpired during the past twelve hours. 

“ Susie,” answered a voice from the hall. 
‘‘ The sheriff wants to see you.” 

“ The sheriff? ” 

“ Yes. Hurry up! The bank robbers have 
been caught and you have to go to the justice 
of the peace’s office.” 


242 TABITHA’S VACATION 


“ Then it’s really so,” sighed Billiard in 
relief. 

“ Course it is ! ” retorted Toady, now 
thoroughly awake. “ But what do you i^’pose 
the sheriff wants us for? ” 

“ Dunno. Quickest way to find out is to 
go down and see.” 

Susie and the twins were waiting for them 
when they emerged from their room, and ecs- 
tatically announced, “ We’re all going, too. 
They want you to be witnesses, and Tabitha to 
take notes. No one else in town writes short- 
hand.” 

“ But what is it all about? ” demanded Bil- 
liard. “ Ain’t the robbers in jail? ” 

“We have no real jail here,” explained 
Tabitha, who chanced to overhear his ques- 
tion. “ When a man does anything that he 
has to go to prison for, they take him to the 
county seat. This court only tries to prove 
whether or not there is evidence enough to 
hold him for trial by the county. Hurry up, 
they are waiting for us. And children, re- 
member, you must come straight back here 
after you take a look at the prisoners. Queer 


TABITHA’S VACATION 243 


how youngsters want to see such things, isn’t 
it? Perhaps it will be quite a while before I 
can get back, but I know I can trust you to 
keep out of mischief and mind Mercedes. 
Oh, Glory, I’ve got nervous chills already 
about taking that dictation. The lawyer 
who is to defend the robbers can talk like light- 
ning.” 

“Fudge!” replied Gloriana reassuringly. 
“ You won’t have any trouble at all, I know. 
They will take into consideration the fact that 
you have no experience outside of school. Is 
this the place? What a funny looking court! 
Does he live here, too? The justice of peace, 
I mean.” 

“Why, Tabitha!” interrupted Irene, 
clutching the older girl by the arm. “ Look 
there ! That’s our candy man, — the tallest 
one — and they’ve got him hand-cuffed. Does 
— Is he the man they say robbed the bank? 
I don’t believe he ever did it! ” 

“Hush!” warned Inez, giving her twin a 
vicious dig in the ribs. But the damage 
was already done. 

“ What do you mean? ” demanded Tabitha, 
pausing on the threshold of the tiny, dirty 


244 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


room that served as courthouse for the town 
of Silver Bow. 

“ Yes, what do you mean? ’’ asked one of 
the lawyers, who had chanced to overhear the 
remark. 

“ He made candy for us the day you went 
to the river and left us at home,” explained 
Irene, ignoring the frowns of her partners in 
guilt. 

“ Tell us all about it.” 

Bit by bit the story came out, and to Irene’s 
great grief it forged another link in the chain 
of evidence already so strong against the 
cheery stranger. “ I don’t want him to go to 
jail,” she sobbed. “ He’s an awfully nice 
man.” 

‘‘ But, dear, he is a thief,” Tabitha told her., 
“ He ought to go to jail.” 

“ If they’d only let him loose this time, 
I’m sure he would never steal again,” the 
child staunchly maintained. But in spite of 
her faith in him, the “ candy man,” as the chil- 
dren continued to call him, was sent to the 
county seat for trial, convicted, and sentenced 
to a long term in prison. 

“ He shouldn’t have stolen if he didn’t want 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


245 


to go to prison,” asserted Billiard virtuously. 
“ If he hadn’t robbed the bank, he never would 
have had to hide in the haunted house and we 
wouldn’t have found them there.” 

“ But as ’tis,” added Toady, “ they paid 
Billiard and me each fifty dollars for finding 
them. I mean the town paid us.” 

“ Though you didn’t discover whether there 
are any ghosts or not,” said Susie much dis- 
appointed. 

“ Who cares? ” retorted the boys, drawing 
out their little hoard of gold pieces and gloat- 
ing over them. “ I wish there were more 
haunted houses if they’d all pay us as well as 
this one did. Now, what shall we do with 
our money? ” 


CHAPTER XIV 


THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENS 

“ Only two weeks more of vacation,” 
sighed Tabitha, sinking wearily into the ham- 
mock one August afternoon, and looking 
longingly away to the west where the train 
was just pufBng into view. “ I never 
dreamed we should be here all summer when 
I offered to take care of the kidlets for Mrs. 
McKittrick.” 

“Are you sorry?” asked Gloriana, glan- 
cing up from her sewing in surprise at the 
tone of Tabitha’s voice. 

“No, oh, no!” she answered hastily, for 
fear her companion would think she was com- 
plaining. “ I don’t regret staying here at all, 
for that was the only way Mr. McKittrick 
could get well; but still — I should have en- 
joyed getting a peek at the ocean again, and 
having a good time all around, like we’d 
surely have had with Myra.” 

247 


248 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


“ Yes, that would have been lovely,” sighed 
Gloriana, who could not help feeling sorry 
that their vacation had not turned out as they 
had planned, although she admired Tabitha 
more than ever because of the unselfishness 
which had prompted her to shoulder such a 
responsibility in the first place. 

“ You see, I never have spent the summer 
at the seashore,” Tabitha continued; “nor 
anywhere else, for that matter, except here in 
Silver Bow, since we came here to live; and I 
had planned so much on Myra’s invitation. 
She is such a whirlwind for fun.” 

“ It’s too bad Miss Davis didn’t let us know 
any sooner that she didn’t intend to come back 
to the desert till fall. Perhaps we could have 
found someone else — ” 

“ I’m afraid not. It’s awfully hard to get 
anyone dependable away out here. Hired 
help is simply out of the question. They 
think Silver Bow is beyond the bounds of civ- 
ilization, I reckon.’ 

“ I don’t blame them,” began Gloriana im- 
petuously; then blushed furiously, and stam- 
mered, “ Oh, what did I say? What will you 
think of me? I didn’t mean — ” 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


249 


“ Yes, you did mean it,” laughed her com- 
panion. “ And I don’t blame you, I used 
to feel the same way myself.” 

“ And did you really get over it? ” Gloriana 
eagerly asked. ‘‘ Do you truly like this — 
this desolate place now? ” 

“ I love Silver Bow/" she answered slowly, 
yet with emphasis. “ I sometimes wonder 
what kind of a girl I would have been if we 
had stayed on at Dover or Ferndale, where 
there was no Carrie. Then there would have 
been no Ivy Hall, either, I suppose.” 

“ And no me/" half whispered the red- 
haired girl. “ Then I should be thankful for 
the desert, too; because if it hadn’t been for 
you, I never should have been adopted by the 
best people in the whole wide world, nor 
found an Uncle Jerry who really belongs to 
me. And anyway, there will be other sum- 
mers, and the ocean will keep.” 

“No, it won’t, either! ” thrilled a bubbling 
voice behind them, and a red-faced, perspir- 
ing, disheveled figure swept around the cor- 
ner of the house and plumped itself down in 
the hammock beside Tabitha whom she pro- 
ceeded to hug rapturously. 


250 TABITHA’S VACATION 


“ Myra! ” gasped the black-haired girl, try- 
ing to return the embrace, but finding herself 
held fast by a pair of strong, sinewy arms. 

“Myra!” echoed Gloriana, dropping her 
sewing and staring with fascinated eyes at the 
newcomer, who promptly dragged the lame 
girl from her chair into the already overloaded 
hammock and hugged her vigorously. 
“ Where did you come from and how did you 
get here? ” 

“ On the train,” Myra paused long enough 
to pant, “ and as to finding you, — haven’t 
you described and sketched the Eagles’ Nest 
often enough in your letters for me to know it 
when I saw it? I never even had to ask di- 
rections how to find the trail. Now just rus- 
tle your things together and we’ll catch that 
train back to Los Angeles this afternoon. It 
leaves at three o’clock, doesn’t it? I simply 
had to come after you, but it’s too beastly hot 
to stay here a minute longer than necessary.” 

“But Myra, the children!” cried the two 
maids, looking oh! so eager at the mere 
thought of the seashore, but determined to 
turn their backs on temptation at once. 

“Hark ye!” answered Myra in tragic 


TABITHA’S VACATION 251 


tones. “ What sound doth smite your ears? 
Or be you deef? Her abrupt change of 
tone and manner was too comical to be re- 
sisted, but her upraised band checked the 
mirth of the other two, and they dutifully 
cocked their heads on one side and listened in- 
tently. 

“ The youngsters at play,” both replied in 
the same breath. 

“ Is that all?” 

“ Yes.” 

“ Then I guess you’re deef/^ 

At that moment sturdy Rosslyn flew 
around the corner of the cottage, and throw- 
ing himself into Tabitha’s lap shrieked out, 
“ Kitty, Kitty, mamma’s come, but papa must 
stay down there till it gets cooler.” 

“ What! ” whispered Tabitha, her face pal- 
ing. “It can’t be! Is she truly?” 

Myra nodded solemnly. 

“ What wonderful things are happening — ” 
There was an ominous crack, the hammock 
rope snapped in two, and the quartette found 
themselves a tangled, huddled heap of arms 
and legs upon the piazza floor. 

“ Indeed, and I see nothing wonderful 


252 TABITHA’S VACATION 


about that,” spluttered Myra, who had just 
opened her lips to speak, when their downfall 
came, and in consequence she had shut her 
sharp teeth together on her tongue. 

Gloriana scrambled to her feet, then 
laughed. She could not help it, for long- 
limbed Myra did look so funny, sprawled on 
the floor like a huge spider; and amazement 
was written so large upon Tabitha’s face that 
sterner hearts than hers would have made 
merry at the picture which they presented. 
Rosslyn’s wail of grief checked her mirth, 
however, and she came hastily to his rescue, 
but his mother had heard the outcry, and now 
appeared on the scene with the remainder of 
her brood clinging to her skirts, and Bil- 
liard and Toady following close at their heels. 

“ Well, for the land sakes! ” she ejaculated, 
holding up her hands in surprise and amuse- 
ment. “ What a sight! Are any of you 
hurt? That’s good! Now, girls, perhaps it 
will seem rude and ungrateful to rush you off 
this way, but I had orders to see that you 
caught the train back to Los Angeles this af- 
ternoon. So I reckon you will have to move 
lively, with your packing and all.” 


TABITHA’S VACATION 253 


“Who gave you such orders?’’ demanded 
Tabitha in bewilderment, rubbing her eyes to 
make sure she was not dreaming. 

“ Your father. I met him in the city just 
as I was about to board the train for Silver 
Bow.” 

“ But— but— ” 

“ No ‘ huts ’ about it,” put in Myra, still 
sucking her injured tongue. “I accidentally 
ran up against Mrs. McKittrick in Los An- 
geles, knew her at once because Mercy looks 
so much like her, discovered that she was 
planning to come back here before school 
opened; so I just attached myself to her and 
came along — ” 

“Aha!” crowed Gloriana jubilantly. 
“ Then all that tale about finding the Eagles’ 
Nest without help was a — fib! ” 

Myra’s face crimsoned and her tell-tale eyes 
dropped, then lifted again, twinkling like twin 
stars. “Huh!” she giggled, “our detective 
again ! Say, are you going to catch that train 
at three o’clock? If so, just take wings to 
your feet and fly for home. Mrs. McKit- 
trick can hear all about everything when you 
get back. The children are alive and well, 


254 TABITHA’S VACATION 


and that’s the main point. I told her every- 
thing you had written me and — ” 

“Myra Haskell!” 

“ Well, she was on her way home and ’twas 
time she knew.” She glanced across at Mrs. 
McKittrick, who smiled back through her 
tears. “ And she says you are bricks. Also 
I told the station agent to send up his rig for 
your trunks, and if you don’t make haste 
pretty lively, he’ll be there before we are. I 
suppose your trunks are at your own house? 
That’s where I told him to call. Now sling 
out the duds you’ve got here, and I’ll pack 
them while you are getting slicked up. No, 
Mrs. McKittrick, I don’t want another bite 
to eat, and it’s evident frofn the looks of the 
house that either these folks don’t get dinner, 
or else they have already eaten it.” 

“ We’ve had it,” volunteered Irene, “ but it 
wasn’t very good.” 

“ Irene McKittrick!” gasped her mother. 

“ She is right,” laughed Tabitha. “ To-day 
was scrap dinner. We have it once a week to 
get rid of all the odds and ends. However, 
it isn’t very popular. No, thanks, we won’t 
need a lunch put up for us. If we get hungry 


TABITHA’S VACATION 255 


before we reach Los Angeles, we’ll patronize 
the diner. Sorry we can’t stop to tell you all 
the news, but if Dad said we must go back 
on this train, I suppose we must. Where are 
you staying, Myra? Avalon? Catalina Is- 
land?” 

“ The very same.” 

Tabitha clasped her hands together and 
drew a deep breath. ‘‘ How perfectly splen- 
did!” 

“ I guess I’m dreaming,” murmured Glor- 
iana, half aloud, pinching herself vigorously 
to make sure she was really awake. “ Do you 
get there by boat? ” 

“ Of course, goosie ! Did you think we 
took an airship ? Hurry up, slowpokes 1 ” 

Laughing and chattering gleefully, the trio 
gathered up their possessions, made a hurried 
visit to the Catt cottage, packed their trunks, 
and were at the station long before the train 
rumbled its way back to the great city by the 
sea. 

“We are going to have the grandest kind 
of a time,” Myra told them. “ All sorts of 
high jinks. We’ve got a dandy site for our 
camp, — a dozen tents — ” 


256 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


“A dozen!” cried Tabitha in a panic. 
“ Why, who are with you? I thought it was 
just your family.” 

“You knew Gwynne was there? ” 

“Yes, but she wouldn’t occupy a dozen 
tents. I’m scared!” 

“ You needn’t be,” mocked Myra sooth- 
ingly. “ I’ll bet you will vote it the j oiliest 
bunch you ever got mixed up with.” 

“ Do I know any of them? ” 

“ Do you consider yourself acquainted with 
Gwynne and me?” 

“ Of course. I meant any of the others.” 

“ Well,” Myra spoke dubiously, “ if you 
don’t, I think you will get acquainted easily.” 
And with that remark she adroitly turned the 
conversation and managed to avoid that sub- 
ject during the rest of their journey. 

When the train drew into the dingy little 
depot the next morning, and the trio gathered 
up their wraps preparatory to alighting, Tabi- 
tha was suddenly heard to ejaculate, “ Why, 
there is Dad! And he’s talking with — Miss 
Pomeroy, as sure as I’m alive! Myra Has- 
kell, is Miss Pomeroy occupying one of those 
twelve tents?” 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


257 


Myra glanced hastily through the iron 
gates, saw that Tabitha was right, and de- 
murely nodded her head. 

‘‘ Then I can imagine who the others are.” 

“ Bet you can’t! At least, not all.” 

“Bet I can!” 

“Who, then, smarty?” 

“ Grace Tilton, Bessie Jorris, Jessie 
Wayne, Julia, Chrystie— Chrystie there?” 

“ Wait and find out,” teased Myra. 

“ Possibly Madeline and Vera, — in fact, all 
our bunch.” 

Myra merely laughed, and as they were now 
spied by Mr. Catt and his companion, there 
was no further opportunity for discussion; 
for, after a hasty greeting all around, the man 
seized all the grips he could manage, and 
made for the street, saying briskly, “We 
must hurry. The boat goes at ten, and it is 
quite a ride to San Pedro.” 

“I hope,” panted Tabitha, trotting along at 
the rear of the procession, tugging a heavy 
suit-case, “ that you don’t have your fun in 
such a hurry.” 

“ What do you mean? ” Myra demanded. 

“ Well, it’s been nothing but hustle since 


258 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


we started out yesterday afternoon, and I was 
just wondering if that’s the atmosphere of 
your camp, too.” 

“ Perhaps you will think so,” laughed 
Myra; “ for there certainly are few idle 
minutes with us.” 

“ How long has the bunch been at Avalon? 
Surely not all summer, or you never could 
have kept it secret for such a while.” 

“ No,” Myra acknowledged, “ only — but 
there, not another question till we reach Cata- 
lina. Then you can ask all you want. I’ve 
said too much already. First thing I know, 
you will guess the rest of our surprise.” And 
the girl resolutely closed her lips. 

Rest of the surprise,” mused Tabitha to 
herself, when further questions failed to bring 
forth any more information, and Myra was 
devoting her attention to quiet Gloriana. “ I 
^ wonder what it can be. Seems as if there had 
been about all the surprises one human being 
could expect in twenty-four hours. Who 
would ever imagine that Dad would go on a 
jaunt like this? Isn’t it great to be alive in 
this day and age ? ” 

She fell to dreaming over the many changes 


TABITHA’S VACATION 259 


that had come to pass in her life during one 
short year, and was only roused from her 
revery by Myra’s gripping her shoulder and 
shouting in her ear, “ The boat is whistling its 
warning now. Not a minute to spare. Run, 
Kit, run! ” And again the little company 
tore frantically down the street toward the 
dock where the Cabrillo was tugging at 
her anchor, waiting for the signal to steam 
away to the Enchanted Isle on her daily 
voyage. 

It was the first time either Tabitha or 
Gloriana had been on the ocean ; and with rap- 
turous hearts they drank in every detail of 
their brief trip, counted the flying fish that 
darted out of the water on either side of them, 
watched the foam dashing high against the 
bow of the vessel, wondered at the long ribbon 
of silent water which the ship left in its wake, 
and were sorry when suddenly Myra called, 
“ There’s the island. We are almost there. 
Now for the fun! There’s a bride and groom 
on board.” 

“ How do you know? ” 

“ Didn’t you hear the whistle blow? ” 

“ Sure, but I supposed it was to tell the 


260 TABITHA’S VACATION 


islanders that we were coming. Doesn’t it 
always whistle? ” 

“ Yes, but not like it did just now. That’s 
the way they have of letting the folks at Avalon 
know when there is a recently married couple 
on board. Then the men are ready and wait- 
ing at the dock with a wheelbarrow.” 

“A wheelbarrow! What on earth do they 
want of a wheelbarrow? ” demanded both girls 
at once. 

“ Just for fun. They cart the groom all 
around the island in it and make a fearful 
racket. Regular chivari.” 

“ How mean! ” cried Gloriana compassion- 
ately. 

“ Oh, it’s fun,” Myra declared. “ They like 
it. I believe an Avalon citizen who didn’t get 
treated that way would feel insulted, really. 
Here we are at the landing, and there is the 
wheelbarrow brigade. It’s Murphy, the ice- 
man, who got married this time. See, he’s as 
proud as a peacock at the prospect.” 

“ Yes, but look at the poor little bride,” said 
Gloriana indignantly. “ She is scared stiff.” 

“ Bet she’s game,” replied Myra, after a 
quick scrutiny of the little, shrinking woman, 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


261 


clinging to the arm of the big, burly Irishman, 
as they stepped briskly down the gangplank. 

“ Do they put her in the wheelbarrow, too? ” 
cried Tabitha in amazement. 

“ Oh, dear, no ” 

“ They will this one,” said the bride with 
startling suddenness, having chanced to over- 
hear both question and answer. “If they cart 
my Pat around town in that kind of a rig, they 
cart me, too.” And to the delight and amuse- 
ment of the crowd gathered to greet the Ca- 
hrilWs passengers, the little lady tucked her- 
self in the barrow beside her husband and was 
trundled away by the surprised citizens, who 
had never wheeled just such a cargo before. 

“ ‘ Here comes the bride ’,” a voice began 
to sing; the crowd took it up, and amid a 
shower of bright-colored confetti, the plucky 
bride disappeared down the street still seated 
beside her smiling Pat. 

So intent was Tabitha in watching the queer 
procession that she had not noticed the quiet 
approach of a bevy of happy-faced girls; but 
now, as she turned toward Myra with the re- 
mark, “ She’s clear grit. I’d choose a wife 
like that if I were a man,” she found the laugh- 


262 TABITHA’S VACATION 


ing eyes of Grace Tilton staring at her, and 
before she could find her tongue to voice her 
surprise, Gwynne’s regal head bobbed through 
the crowd toward her. Jessie and Julia, Vera 
and Kate, all her particular friends at Ivy 
Hall, seemed to spring up around her, and al- 
though half expecting to find them there, she 
stood transfixed with amazement, silently re- 
garding them one by one, while they in silence 
stared back at her. Then the circle parted, 
and among the familiar faces of her school- 
mates appeared another, which dimpled and 
smiled and nodded engagingly, and Tabitha 
awoke with a start. 

“Carrie Carson!” she cried, and ran 
straight into the outstretched arms of the gol- 
den-haired girl. 

“ Kitty, my puss! ” whispered Carrie, cud- 
dling the black head dropped on her shoulder ; 
and the other girls thoughtfully turned away 
to watch the sea-gulls careening about the 
mastheads of the big Cabrillo, 

But after a moment, that sweet, familiar 
voice spoke again, and turning back, the Ivy 
Hall girls saw Carrie stretching out her hands 
to timid Gloriana, as she said, “ So this is my 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


263 


other sister, my Gloriana ! It seems as if I had 
always known you. We are going to have 
great times at Ivy Hall this year. Come on, 
girls, the glass bottom boat is to take us to the 
Marine Gardens right after dinner, and we’ll 
have to hurry, or be late.” 

Myra turned to Tabitha with a comical 
grimace, and said, “ What did I tell you? 
Hurry’s the word.” 

Then a babel of voices broke loose, all laugh- 
ing and talking at once, and in triumph 
Tabitha and Gloriana were escorted to Ivy 
Hall Camp. 


CHAPTER XV 


MYRA^S CLIMAX 

Well^ vacation is over, and we had just 
begun having a good time,” sighed Tabitha 
mournfully, drawing back the curtains and 
peering out of the window that September 
morning into the gray fog of early dawn. “ It 
doesn’t seem possible that we are back in Los 
Angeles again. I ’most wish we had stayed 
at Catalina for this last day.” 

The Catalina campers, after a delightful 
two weeks’ outing on the Island, had returned 
to mainland the day before; but as Ivy Hall 
had not yet opened its doors to its pupils, and 
most of the girls lived in neighboring towns, 
Myra Haskell had invited them to spend the 
night with her at her aunt’s house. The aunt, 
Mrs. Cummings, was herself away on a brief 
vacation, but had given her harum-scarum 
niece permission to take possession of her 
265 


266 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


pretty bungalow for the two nights the party 
would be in Los Angeles before school com- 
menced. So, as the gray day dawned, it found 
a dozen mummy-like figures stretched about 
the floor of the great living-room, wrapped in 
blankets and quilts, and snoring blissfully. 

This was the audience which Tabitha ad- 
dressed, but she did not realize that she had 
spoken her thoughts aloud, and was startled 
when Myra, without opening her eyes, 
grunted, “ Huh! You’ll sing another tune be- 
fore night. This is to be the gala day of your 
life. You will never forget it. When Dad 
starts out to do a thing, he never stops half 
way. The only trouble is to get him started.” 

“ I didn’t mean to grumble, truly,” cried 
Tabitha, dismayed at having had her ungra- 
cious complaint overheard by her young 
hostess. “ It is just grand of your family ta 
invite all of us out to your ranch for the day. 
but I believe it’s going to rain. It certainly 
looks like it. You could cut the fog with a 
knife.” 

“Whist! my young friend,” murmured 
Gwynne, wakened from her slumbers by the 
sound of voices in the room. “ Don’t be so 


TABITHA’S VACATION 267 


pessimistic. Don’t you know it never rains 
in California? At least not in the summer 
time.” For from the opposite corner of the 
room someone had sleepily murmured, “ What 
about the ostriches? ” and the whole company 
laughed reminiscently, recalling that Thanks- 
giving night when the storm had frightened 
the ostriches at the Park until they broke loose 
and created a panic among the returning 
theatre-goers. 

“ Who said rain? ” demanded Grace, hfting 
a tousled head from the pillow to survey the 
hilarious group scattered about the floor of 
the spacious room. 

“Go back to sleep,^you dreamed it!” 
teased Bessie, who had begun to slip on her 
clothes. “ ’Twas snow we were talking about. 
Feels like it, anyway.” 

“ It is pretty chilly,” admitted Tabitha, 
shivering under the thin folds of her borrowed 
dressing-gown, as she turned away from the 
window and prepared to follow Bessie’s ex- 
ample. “ Wake up, thou sluggards, ’tis time 
you were dressed. Remember we have a long 
and arduous day ahead of us.” 

“ Kitty must be tired,” said Julia in mock 


2G8 TABITHA’S VACATION 


S3nmpathy, crawling out of her warm nest and 
jerking the blanket off her nearest neighbor 
with ruthless hand. “ Is that it, Kitty? First 
you want it to rain, and then when you can’t 
make it do that, you begin to moan about the 
length of the day before us.” 

“ All wrong,” Vera spoke up suddenly. 
“ She is merely thinking of that dear, cross- 
eyed boatman at Avalon. You know he 
promised to give us a free ride to the Marine 
Gardens this morning, and here we all came 
away and dragged Tabitha with us. Shame 
on us! What could we be thinking about! ” 

Tabitha wisely joined in the laugh which 
followed this sally, and sent a pillow flying 
after her tormentor, who had made a wild dash 
for the hall. “ No, sir, I’m not bemoaning 
my fate,” she vigorously denied, with her 
mouth full of pins. “ I know we shall have a 
splendid time at the ranch. Only it seems as 
if vacation had only just begun, instead of 
being nearly ended; and the day looks so 
cloudy and gray that it doesn’t seem like a 
fitting climax for our lovely two weeks at 
Catalina.” 

“It is too bad that you got cheated out of 


TABITHA’S VACATION 269 


all the fun this summer,” Myra sympathized 
heartily. ‘‘But just you wait until the day is 
done before you say it is not a fitting climax — 
Gracious Caesar! Here’s one of the autos al- 
ready! Surely they can’t be coming so soon! 
What time is it, anyway? ” 

“ Half-past six,” Gloriana answered, glanc- 
ing at an open watch that lay on the library 
table. 

“ Half-past nothing! ” cried Vera, tumbling 
hastily into the room with her eyes as big as 
saucers. “ It is almost eight o’clock! ” 

“You are joking!” cried the rest of the 
group in wild alarm. 

“ Am not! True as you’re alive, the kitchen 
clock says a quarter of eight o’clock.” 

“ Oho!” murmured Myra guilty. “ I — I — 
really, I forgot ” 

“Forgot what?” they demanded, as she 
doubled up and shrieked with laughter. 

“ I — I must have set all the watches in the 
crowd behind time,” she managed to explain 
at length. 

“ When? ” 

“ Last night.” 

“ What for? ” 


270 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


“ Just a joke.” 

“ A joke ? I can’t see any joke about that ! ” 
spluttered Jessie indignantly. “ Did you 
think we wanted to go for a forty-mile auto 
ride on empty stomachs? I’m as hungry as a 
bear this minute.” 

“ I am awfully sorry,” cried Myra peni- 
tently, sobering at the realization of just what 
would be the outcome of her joke. “ I meant 
to set them two hours ahead, so you 
would all get up at daybreak and be ready 
long before the autos came.” 

“Just like you!’ they exclaimed, half 
amused, half provoked. “ What are you go- 
ing to do about it now? ” 

“ What can we do? The autos are here al- 
ready with the rest of the people. There are 
the Carsons and here confies Miss Pomeroy.” 

“ And there is Tabitha’s father in his new 
machine.” 

“ Yes, and mine,” said Myra. “ My! won’t 
he be mad to think we aren’t even dressed? 
If there is one thing above another that he 
abominates, it is having to wait for a woman 
to get ready to go somewhere. Well, I sup- 
pose I’ll have to break the news to him. Then 


TABITHA’S VACATION 271 


after you have all gone home again, won’t I 
get the dickens? ” 

‘‘ Hold on! ” cried Tabitha, as Myra started 
for the door. “ There is no need of that, is 
there? I’ve got a brilliant inspiration. Didn’t 
you say when you investigated the larder last 
night that your aunt must have baked just 
a-purpose for our visit? ” 

“ Yes, words to that effect. There is a 
whole crock full of doughnuts and another of 
cookies. She must have had baking day just 
before she decided to take her little trip. But 
why?” 

“ We’ll just fill our pockets ” 

“ Haven’t any! ” 

“ Well, our hands, then, and eat our break- 
fast on the sly.” 

“ On the fiy you mean,” said Gwynne, sar- 
castically. 

“ To be exact, yes. Or perhaps it would be 
better to pretend that we just found the sup- 
plies as we were about to leave the house. 
That will be the truth, so far as the most of us 
are concerned, won’t it?” 

“ But cookies and doughnuts are pretty 


272 TABITHiV’S VACATION 


slim fare for hungry bodies,” grumbled Vera, 
tugging at an unruly collar. 

“ Better than nothing,” said Bessie cheer- 
fully. “ Dinner will taste all the better.” 

“ But we aren’t ready,” objected Julia, slip- 
ping the last hairpin in the heavy coil at the 
back of her head. “ My shoes aren’t buttoned 
yet, and I can’t scare up a hook in the whole 
outfit.” 

“ Bring ’em in your hand, then,” suggested 
Gwynne. “ I’m ready now, and I elect my- 
self commissary general to distribute the 
rations as you pass out. Who’ll be first in 
line? Gather up your bedding, Jessie, and 
stack it in the corner, else Myra’s aunt will 
think tramps camped here instead of civilized 
human beings. Now, are you all clothed and 
in your right minds? Then, Grace, poke your 
head out of the window and announce to the 
audience that we will be out in a minute. 
Where are your hats and coats? Yes, Kate, 
there’ll be time for you to wash your face if 
you haven’t been able to do so before. Look 
pleasant, please! No one must suspect that 
we’ve had no breakfast ; but in my mind’s eye, 
I can see this bunch stowing away their dinner 


TABITHA’S VACATION 273 


three or four hours from now. Hope they 
serve it as soon as we get there. Do you sup- 
pose there will be enough to go around? How 
far did you say it was, Myra? Forty miles? ” 

Laughing and joking, the dozen hungry, 
breakfastless girls hurried into their coats 
and veils, seized their pitifully small allotment 
of doughnuts and cookies, and boisterously 
climbed aboard the autos waiting for them. 

“ Only ten minutes late by actual count,** 
Mr. Haskell complimented them, as the merry 
crowd poured out of the door. 

“Well, well, that’s doing fine! How did 
it happen? ” 

“ It’s all Myra’s fault,” began Vera plain- 
tively, but Myra, fearful that she was about 
to be betrayed, hastily asked, “ Where is the 
dinner. Dad? Didn’t mother tell you to 
bring ” 

“ Some stuffed squabs, fruit and cake? 
Yes, she did; and it’s packed in that trunk 
hitched onto the step there. You’ll have to 
sit on it, I guess. There doesn’t seem to be 
quite room enough to accommodate all the 
crowd.” 

This arrangement just suited Myra, who 


274 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


loved to romp like her brothers; so she glee- 
fully perched on top of the long, flat chest 
strapped on one side of the auto, and the pro- 
cession slowly set out on its long journey. 

“My! but it’s a beautiful day,” sighed 
Tabitha at length, her eyes wandering from 
the fog-wet landscape below to the sky above, 
where the blue was already chasing away the 
gray, as the sun struggled up behind the 
eastern hills. 

“ Didn’t I tell you so? ” crowed Gwynne, 
regretfully studying the last bite of a dough- 
nut before popping it into her mouth. “ It 
doesn’t rain in California. Is this the river we 
cross eighteen times, Myra, in order to reach 
your ranch? ” 

“ Only eight,” mumbled Myra, with her 
mouth full of cookie crumbs. “ This is it. 
Allow me to introduce you to the great ” 

“ Great! ” echoed Tabitha, looking down at 
the shallow, sluggish stream with critical eyes. 
“ Is it really a river? Looks to me like the 
little puddles we used to sail boats in after a 
heavy rain-storm back home when I was a 
little tot.” 

“ It isn’t very awe-inspiring now, is it? 


TABITHA’S VACATION 275 

But you should see it in the spring after the 
rains. It certainly can play havoc then. 
Changes its channel every two or three years, 
and causes all sorts of damage. What is the 
matter ahead there? ” Their auto had slowed 
down suddenly, and now came to an abrupt 
halt in the middle of the road. “ What has 
happened, Dad? ” 

“ Carson’s auto is stuck in the mud.” 

“ Mud? ” 

“ Well, the river-bed, if that suits you any 
better. I’ll get out and see if I can help 
them ” 

“No need; they’ve started up again,” said 
Tabitha, waving her hand at Carrie and wish- 
ing that she had been fortunate enough to get 
a seat in Mr. Carson’s machine. 

The delayed procession started onward 
again, and without further difficulty crossed 
the muddy river-bed and sped swiftly away 
down the smooth road on the other side. But 
that same river had to be reckoned with seven 
more times, and each time at least one of the 
cars sank in the treacherous mud and had to 
be dug out. 

“ Well, thank fortune, this is the last time 


276 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


we cross ! ” breathed Myra, as they ap- 
proached the winding river for the eighth 
time. “ Ours is the only auto that hasn’t stuck 
fast so far. Let her out, Dad, and we’ll be on 
the other bank in a jiffy. I never knew the 
river to be so high at this season of the 
year.” 

“ Knock on wood, Myra, knock on wood! ” 
cried G Wynne in mock alarm. “ Too late, 
we’ve stuck fast! Why on earth couldn’t you 
wait until we had safely reached the other side 
before you commenced bragging? ” 

“Huh! You superstitious duck, did you 
think we could escape? Oh, pshaw, we’re out! 
Not even the fun of having to be helped across 
like the others were! Well, never mind, Mr. 
Catt’s machine is sure to stick again. It has 
every time so far. There, didn’t I tell you? 
Hurrah! Watch your father puff, Kitty. 
Ain’t he a sight? Get out your shovel, Mr. 
Catt!” 

Myra was excitedly dancing on the lid of 
the luncheon-filled chest, as she hung precari- 
ously over the back of the tonneau, and bawled 
her remarks at the unfortunate occupants of 
the auto behind them, which seemed to sink 


TABITHA’S VACATION 277 


deeper and deeper in the mire with every efTort 
to dig her out. 

“ Fasten this rope to your car and we’ll try 
dragging you out,” finally suggested the pon- 
derous Mr. Haskell, clambering heavily down 
from his seat at the wheel and going to the 
aid of his unlucky neighbor, who was not yet 
much skilled in the art of running an auto- 
mobile. So they tied the two cars together 
with a heavy rope, and tried to drag the cap- 
tive machine loose, but without success. 

‘‘ Let me drive,” suggested Myra, after they 
had tugged in vain for several minutes, “ and 
you get out and pull on the rope, too.” 

“ What good will that do? ” growled her 
father crossly. “ If sixty horse power won’t 
budge the thing, do you suppose man’s puny 
strength will? ” 

Nevertheless, he crawled out of his seat 
once more, and seized the great rope dangling 
between the two cars. Mr. Catt, resigning 
his wheel to the driver of the next machine in 
line, followed Mr. Haskell’s example, and 
with three or four of the other men of the 
party, they added their strength to that of the 
machine, and pulled with all their might. 


278 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


Myra, at the wheel, was in her element, and 
putting on full power, she gave the lever a 
vicious jerk. The car leaped forward like a 
thing alive, and bounded up the opposite bank 
at break-neck speed. 

“Ah!” she cried in triumph, “I knew I 
could get her started. I’m a bird ! ” 

“ Oh, Daddy,” shrieked Tabitha’s voice 
from the rear seat. “ Let go, oh, let go! Mr. 
Haskell, you’ll be killed! ” 

“ Myra, you chump ! ” hissed Gwynne in her 
ear. “ Shut that thing off ! The rope’s bu’sted 
and you are dragging our precious men folks 
up hill.” 

Myra glanced hastily behind her, reversed 
the wheel, and as the car came to a standstill, 
she sprawled across the seat, doubled up with 
merriment, half hysterical. “ Oh, didn’t they 
look funny hanging onto that rope? What 
fools some mortals be! Why didn’t they let 
go? Bet Dad’s got his nose skinned good, for 
when I looked back, he was plowing up the 
road on his head. Is he hurt? I don’t dast 
to ask! Mr. Catt, your clothes are pretty 
dusty.” 

“ Dusty I’ll admit, but not very pretty,” he 


TABITHA’S VACATION 279 


smiled grimly, as he wiped the perspiration 
from his grimy face. “ However, you got the 
car out of the rut, so perhaps we can proceed 
on our way now.” 

“ Then it might be wise if I resigned my 
seat to the chauffeur before I am requested,” 
chuckled Myra, still laughing immoderately 
at thought of her father’s undignified attitude 
as he was dragged through the dust, clinging 
desperately to the frayed end of the broken 
rope. So she scrambled nimbly to her place on 
the running board, and there Mr. Haskell 
found her sitting prim and decorous when he 
had finally recovered his breath and made him- 
self sufficiently presentable to face the rest of 
the party. 

“ Your nose is a little — soiled,” she told him, 
as he climbed stiffly into his seat, “ and some- 
what scrubbed, I’m afraid.” 

Her voice shook a little in spite of her efforts 
to control her mirth, and he scowled darkly at 
his irrepressible daughter, though he only said, 
“ Are you all ready? ” 

So again the procession of autos took up 
their journey, and with no further accident 
finally reached the great walnut ranch where 


280 TABITHA’S VACATION 


the Haskell family lived during the summer. 
The rosy, smiling mother greeted them from 
the veranda as the cars rolled up the smooth 
driveway and unloaded at the door. “ You are 
late,” she said cheerily. “ Did you have any 
mishaps? I knew you would be hungry 
after your long ride, so we are serving 
dinner early. Dave, did you get the squabs all 
right? ” 

“ Yes, he did,” Myra answered. “ I sat on 
them all the way out here. Dad, bring on the 
‘ eats Why, what is the matter? ” 

Mr. Haskell stood in the driveway frown- 
ing heavily at the car, much as he might have 
done at a naughty little boy. At Myra’s 
boisterous call, he raised his eyes and inquired, 
“ Where are the ‘ eats ’? ” 

“ In the chest, of course. What do you — ” 
Her voice died away in a husky, bewildered 
squeak. The rest of the party came closer, 
followed the direction of her glance, and 
gasped. The hamper full of stuffed squabs 
was gone! 

“ Well, of all things! ” cried Gwynne, when 
the silence was becoming oppressive. “ How 
could it have happened? ” 


TABITHA’S VACATION 281 

“With Myra sitting on it!” chorused the 
girls. 

“ Didn’t you miss it? ” 

“ N-o.” 

“ Ha, ha, that’s one on you. Miss Haskell,” 
laughed Mr. Carson. “ Sitting on the lunch 
box and never missed it when it tumbled over- 
board. How did you manage to stick on? ” 

“ How did the other machines manage to 
come along behind us and never find it? ” re- 
torted Myra, nettled at the hilarity of her com- 
panions. “ That is the question 1 ” 

“We must have lost it in the river,” sug- 
gested Tabitha. 

“ Of course! When we were trying to pull 
out the other machine and I shaved Dad’s 
nose. Didn’t I do a good job, Mumsie? Must 
we go hungry now because I lost all your lit- 
tle stuffed scrubs, — I mean squabs?” Anx- 
iously she turned toward her mother and 
scanned that sober face, for her eighteen hour 
fast had left her half famished, and there were 
at least eleven other girls in the same boat, all 
because of her stupid attempt at joking. 

“ We-11, I have cooked a kettle of new pota- 
toes and another of green corn, — plenty of 


282 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


both. But it looks as if you must go without 
meat.” 

“ Oh, we can get along nicely, I know. 
Vegetables are better than meat anyway, you 
know. Come on, let’s eat! ” At that moment 
she felt hungry enough to swallow the dishes 
themselves, and anything sounded appetizing 
to her. As the rest of the party were equally 
as hungry, they were not slow to respond to 
her invitation, and in a very short time the 
tables were stripped; but the ravenous ap- 
petites were appeased, and the little company 
scattered in groups about the ranch to enjoy 
the few brief hours of their stay. 

The return trip was as tame as the first part 
of the journey had been exciting, for not a 
single car stuck once, and just as the city 
clocks were striking nine, the tired, sunburned, 
but blissfully happy girls again found them- 
selves entering Mrs. Cummings’ deserted 
house, where they were to spend this last night 
before Ivy Hall opened its doors to receive 
them. 

“ Oh, Kit, your father gave me a letter for 
you, hours ago,” suddenly exclaimed Myra 
in dismay, as they were unrolling their 


TABITHA’S VACATION 283 


blankets ready for bed, and she dragged forth 
a crumpled envelope from her blouse and pre- 
sented it to her surprised companion. “ I’m 
so Sorry I forgot it. Really, it’s inexcusable 
in me.” 

“ It’s of little consequence,” Tabitha as- 
sured her, scanning the unfamiliar handwrit- 
ing with puzzled eyes. “ I don’t know anyone 
in Boston. Oh, it’s from Billiard and Toady, 
I reckon. They live at Jamaica Plains, and — 
why, there’s money in it! One hundred dol- 
lars. What in the world — Will you listen 
to this, girls? You know I told you about 
their getting part of the reward for helping 
capture the bank robbers in Silver Bow? 
Well, they are sending it back and want to 
know if it’s enough to give Mercedes another 
year at Ivy Hall.” 

A deep hush fell upon the group of tired, 
sleepy girls preparing for the night. Each 
maid recalled with a twinge of conscience the 
picture of quiet, sober-faced Mercedes Mc- 
Kittrick, as she had said good-bye to them 
that last day of school. “ I can never forget 
any of you,” she had said shyly, “ and I’m 
glad of that, for it’s nice to remember pleas- 


284 


TABITHA’S VACATION 


ant times when you can’t have any more.” 
They had not understood then, but now they 
knew it was her way of renouncing the happy 
school days which she must give up because of 
her father’s illness; and they were ashamed of 
their indifference. 

“ I’ll add fifty dollars of the check Uncle 
Jerry gave me,” whispered Gloriana, break- 
ing the painful silence at last. 

“ And there’s my birthday money in the 
bank,” said Tabitha. “ That’s another fifty.” 

“ Oh, if only I hadn’t spent my allowance 
for clothes that, I didn’t need!” groaned 
Myra. “ But I still have nine dollars and 
ninety-nine cents left. Can anyone make it 
an even ten? Ivy Hall will be open to us to- 
morrow, and school begins Monday. I can get 
along nicely on my nerve until my next al- 
lowance comes in. Here, let’s pass the 
hat.” 

“ Me, first ! ” cried Bessie enthusiastically, 
reaching for her purse. “ I’ll give ten dol- 
lars.” 

“ My money is all gone,” mourned Grace, 
“ but I’ll promise ten dollars if you will take 
pledges.” 


TABITHA’S VACATION 285 

In utter amazement Tabitha sat curled up 
on her pile of blankets, watching the shower of 
gold and silver which poured into her lap. 
“ Oh, girls,” she gasped, when she could find 
her tongue. “ How can I ever thank you? 
Mercy will be transported with joy. Here’s 
more than enough to pay all her expenses, and 
Carrie will want a share in it, too. Aren’t 
friends splendid! ” Her voice was husky and 
tremulous, and two bright drops glistened in 
her black eyes. What a beautiful world this 
is to live in! Somehow, the spontaneous gift 
to little Mercedes seemed a gift to her also, 
and she thoroughly appreciated the loving act 
of her classmates. What a beautiful climax to 
her summer vacation! 

Jessie sniffed audibly, and Vera surrepti- 
tiously wiped a big tear off the end of her nose. 
Myra, who hated scenes, brought the group 
back to the earth with a thump, saying 
briskly, “ Come, let’s to bed! I’m half dead 
already, and my face is smarting like sin. I 
don’t like your cold cream, Kitty.” 

“ Cold cream? ” repeated Tabitha in sur- 
prise. 

‘‘ Yes, I helped myself to the contents of the 


286 TABITHA’S VACATION 


jar I found in your suitcase. No one else had 
any, and my face was burned to a frazzle.’' 

“ Did you put that stuff on your face? ” 
screamed Tabitha, holding up a tiny white jar 
of a creamy paste. 

“Sure. Why?” 

“ Because it’s corn salve. No wonder it 
smarts. Go wash ” 

But Myra waited to hear no more. There 
was a wild scamper of bare feet on the hall 
floor, the bath-room door banged noisily, water 
splashed vigorously, and just as the girls were 
drifting off to sleejp, they heard Myra, snug- 
gling down in her blankets, murmur sadly, 
“ It’s lucky the Hall opens to-morrow. Other- 
wise these girls would soon be the death of 
me.” 


THE END 


TKe Turner Books 



Betty, the Scribe 


By Lilian Turner 


“BETTY, THE SCRIBE” is an unusual and 
distinctive book in juveniles. 

It is a domestic comedy in which a dreamy 
girl with a great deal of temperament is trying to 
take her dead mother’s place in a house full of 
turbulent children, ranging all the way from her own seventeen-year-old twin 
brother down to rebellious Nancy of eleven, five-year-old Dick, mischievous 
Pepper of two, and that terrible personage — the New Baby. The family was 
desperately poor, the father a dreamer, the one slipshod servant incapable, the 
home comfortless and cheerless. Betty was full of good resolutions and heroic 
'ntentions, which she carefully wrote out in long duty lists at night and forgot 
the next morning in her fondness for writing. 

A beautiful and dainty elder sister with domestic ability and lofty ideals 
gave up her congenial work as a companion in a luxurious household to bring 
order out of this chaotic situation. Betty goes out to win undying fame as an 
author and fails. 

“The two types of girlhood — beautiful, precise Dot and rebellious, imagin- 
ative Betty — their trials and successes, are good things for all girls and some 
grown-ups to study. *' — New York Sun. 

i2mo, cloth, illustrated in half-tone, $1.50. 


The Wonder-Child 

By Bthel Turner 

Miss Turner is fast becoming to the world at large 
what Louisa M. Alcott was for a generation past in 
America. In “The Wonder-Child” is visible that same 
touch of the pen which made the author of “Little Wom- 
en” so dearly beloved. 

Challis Cameron reveals great musical talent, and so 
everything and everybody in the home is ruthlessly sac- 
rificed that she may be educated. Father and family 
are left to lead a precarious existence while mother and 
Challis go to Europe. A good tale, beautifully told. 



i2mo, clothe illustrated with half-tones, $1.50. 


30 


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